For fox or man the better plan

 

With unknown danger near,

 

Is to go home and no more roam

 

Until the way be clear.

 

 

THAT is what Reddy Fox thinks. The thought popped right into his head when Jimmy Skunk¹ told him that the half-eaten chicken had been left on the Green Meadows by some one with teeth and feet very like Reddy's own but bigger. But Reddy pretended not to believe it. “Pooh!” said he. “How do you know that this stranger has feet like mine, only bigger. You haven't seen him, have you?”

 

“No,” said Jimmy Skunk, shaking his head, “no, I haven't seen him, and I don't need to, to know that. His footprints are right over here in the sand. Come look for yourself, Reddy Fox.”

 

“No, thanks!” said Reddy hastily. “The fact is, I have some very important matters to look after in the Green Forest, and I must hurry along. You'll excuse me, won't you, Jimmy Skunk? If you say that there are footprints like mine, only larger, of course I believe it. I would stop to look at them if I could, but I find that I am already very late. By the way, if you will look a little closer at those footprints, I think you will find that they were made by a dog. I'm sorry I can't wait for you, but you are such a slow walker that I really haven't the time. Let me know if you find out anything about this stranger.” And with that off he started for the Green Forest.

 

Jimmy Skunk grinned, for he knew that Reddy had nothing more important to attend to than to get away as fast as he could from a place which he felt might be dangerous.

 

“Don't fool yourself, Reddy Fox, by thinking I don't know the footprints of a dog when I see them. Besides, I smelled of them, and they don't smell of dog!” shouted Jimmy, before Reddy could get out of hearing.

 

Jimmy watched Reddy out of sight and chuckled² as he saw Reddy keep turning to look over his shoulder as if he expected to find something terrible at his heels. “I'd never run away until I knew what I was running from!” exclaimed Jimmy, with the greatest scorn. “Did you ever see such a coward?”

 

With Reddy gone, Jimmy's thoughts came back to the queer things which were driving all the happiness from the Green Meadows at the very happiest time of all the year. There was that strange, terrible voice in the night, the voice that was not that of Hooty the

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