Bowser The Hound by Thornton W. Burgess
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Thornton W. Burgess >> Bowser The Hound
Bowser did know enough to follow that road. The instant he saw that
road, he knew that if he kept on following it, it would lead him
somewhere. So with new hope in his heart, Bowser limped along.
CHAPTER IX
OLD MAN COYOTE GIVES OUT DARK HINTS
A little hint dropped there or here,
Is like a seed in spring of year;
It sprouts and grows, and none may say
How big 'twill be some future day.
_Bowser the Hound._
After leading Bowser the Hound far, far away and getting him lost in
strange country, Old Man Coyote trotted back to the Old Pasture, the
Green Forest, and the Green Meadows near Farmer Brown's. He didn't have
any trouble at all in finding his way back. You see, all the time he was
leading Bowser away, he himself was using his eyes and taking note of
where he was going. You can't lose Old Man Coyote. No, Sir, you can't
lose Old Man Coyote, and it is of no use to try.
So, stopping two or three times to hunt a little by the way, Old Man
Coyote trotted back. He managed to pick up a good meal on the way, and
when at last he reached his home in the Old Pasture he was feeling very
well satisfied with the Great World in general and himself in
particular.
He grinned as only Old Man Coyote can grin. "I don't think any of us
will be bothered by that meddlesome Bowser very soon again," said he, as
he crept into his house for a nap. "If he had drowned in that river, I
shouldn't have cried over it. But even as it is, I don't think he will
get back here in a hurry. I must pass the word along."
So a day or so later, when Sammy Jay happened along, Old Man Coyote
asked him, in quite a matter-of-fact way, if he had seen anything of
Bowser the Hound for a day or two.
"Why do you ask?" said Sammy sharply.
Old Man Coyote grinned slyly. "For no reason at all, Sammy. For no
reason at all," he replied. "It just popped into my head that I hadn't
heard Bowser's voice for two or three days. It set me to wondering if he
is sick, or if anything has happened to him."
That was enough to start Sammy Jay straight for Farmer Brown's dooryard.
Of course Bowser wasn't to be seen. Sammy hung around and watched. Twice
he saw Farmer Brown's boy come to the door with a worried look on his
face and heard him whistle and call for Bowser. Then there wasn't the
slightest doubt in Sammy's mind that something had happened to Bowser.
"Old Man Coyote knows something about it, too," muttered Sammy, as he
turned his head on one side and scratched his pointed cap thoughtfully.
"He can't fool me. That old rascal knows where Bowser is, or what has
happened to him, and I wouldn't be a bit surprised if he had something
to do with it. I almost know he did from the way he grinned."
The day was not half over before all through the Green Forest and over
the Green Meadows had spread the report that Bowser the Hound was no
more.
CHAPTER X
HOW REDDY FOX INVESTIGATED
In-vest-i-gate if you would know
That something is or isn't so.
_Bowser the Hound._
To in-vest-i-gate something means to try to find out about it. Reddy Fox
had heard from so many different ones about the disappearance of Bowser
that he finally made up his mind that he would in-vest-i-gate and find
out for himself if it were true that Bowser was no longer at home in
Farmer Brown's dooryard. If it were true,--well, Reddy had certain plans
of his own in regard to Farmer Brown's henhouse.
Reddy had begun by doubting that story because it seemed to have come
first from Old Man Coyote. Reddy would doubt anything with which Old Man
Coyote was concerned. But Reddy had finally come to believe that
something certainly had happened because half a dozen times during the
day he had heard Farmer Brown's boy whistle and whistle and call and
call.
Just as soon as the Black Shadows came creeping out from the Purple
Hills, Reddy started up towards Farmer Brown's. He didn't go directly
there, because he never goes directly anywhere if there is the least
chance in the world that any one may be watching him. But as he slipped
along in the blackest of the Black Shadows, he was all the time working
nearer and nearer to Farmer Brown's dooryard. Although he was inclined
to think it was true that Bowser was not there, he was far too wise to
take any unnecessary risk. He approached Farmer Brown's dooryard just as
carefully as if he knew Bowser to be in his little house as usual. He
kept in the Black Shadows. He crouched so low that he seemed hardly more
than a Black Shadow himself. Every two or three steps he stopped to
look, listen, and test the air with his keen nose.
As he drew near Bowser's own little house, Reddy circled out around it
until he could see the doorway. Then he sat down where he could peek
around from behind a tree and watch. He had been there only a few
moments when the back door of Farmer Brown's house opened and Farmer
Brown's boy stepped out. Reddy didn't run. He knew that Farmer Brown's
boy would never dream that he would dare come so near. Besides, it was
very clear that Farmer Brown's boy was thinking of no one but Bowser. He
whistled and called just as he had done several times during the day.
But no Bowser came, so after a while Farmer Brown's boy went back into
the house. There was a worried look on his face.
As soon as he heard the door close, Reddy trotted right out in the open
and sat down only a few feet from the black doorway of Bowser's little
house. Reddy barked softly. Then he barked a little louder. He knew that
if Bowser were at home, that bark would bring him out if nothing else
did. Bowser didn't appear. Reddy grinned. He was sure now that Bowser
was nowhere about. Chuckling to himself, he turned and trotted towards
Farmer Brown's henhouse.
CHAPTER XI
A LITTLE UNPLEASANTNESS
Watch a Coyote most closely when it appears that he least needs
watching.
_Bowser the Hound._
Never in his life had Reddy Fox visited Farmer Brown's henhouse with
quite such a comfortable feeling as he now had. He knew for a certainty
that Bowser the Hound was not at home. He knew because he had finally
crept up and peeped in the door of Bowser's little house. What had
become of Bowser he didn't know, and he didn't care. It was enough to
know that he wasn't about.
"I hope Farmer Brown's boy has forgotten to close that little doorway
where the hens run in and out," muttered Reddy, as he trotted across
Farmer Brown's dooryard. Once he stopped, and looking up at the lighted
windows of the house, grinned. You see, with Bowser gone, Reddy wasn't
the least bit afraid.
"If I can get into that henhouse," thought Reddy, "I certainly will have
one good feast to-night. That is, I will if those stupid hens are not
roosting so high that I can't get them. I'll eat one right there."
Reddy's mouth watered at the very thought. "Then I'll take one home to
Mrs. Reddy. If there is time we both will come back for a couple more."
So Reddy made pleasant plans as he approached Farmer Brown's henhouse.
When he reached it he paused to listen to certain sounds within, certain
fretful little cluckings. Reddy sat down for a minute with his tongue
hanging out and the water actually dripping from it. He could shut his
eyes and see those roosts with the hens crowded together so that every
once in a while one would be wakened and fretfully protest against being
crowded so.
But Reddy sat there only for a minute. He was too eager to find out if
it would prove to be possible to get inside that henhouse. Running
swiftly but cautiously past the henhouse and along one side of the
henyard, he peeped around the corner to see if by any chance the yard
gate had been left open. His heart gave a leap of joy as he saw that the
gate was not quite closed. All he would have to do would be to push it
and enter.
Reddy turned the corner quickly. Just as he put up one paw to push the
gate open, a low but decidedly ugly growl made him jump back with every
hair of his coat standing on end. His first thought was of Bowser. It
must be that Bowser had returned! Believing in safety first, Reddy did
not stop to see who had growled, but ran swiftly a short distance. Then
he looked behind him. Over at the gate of Farmer Brown's henyard he
could see a dark form. At once Reddy knew that it wasn't Bowser the
Hound, for it had a bushy tail, while Bowser's was smooth. Reddy knew
who it was. It was Old Man Coyote.
[Illustration: OVER AT THE GATE OF FARMER BROWN'S HENYARD HE COULD SEE A
DARK FORM]
CHAPTER XII
THE CLEVERNESS OF OLD MAN COYOTE
Who thinks the quickest and the best
Is bound to win in every test.
_Bowser the Hound._
The meeting of Reddy Fox and Old Man Coyote just outside the gate to
Farmer Brown's henyard had been wholly unexpected to both. Reddy had
been so eager to get inside that gate that when he turned the corner at
the henyard he hadn't looked beyond the gate. If he had looked beyond,
he would have seen Old Man Coyote just coming around the other corner.
As for Old Man Coyote, he had been so surprised at sight of Reddy Fox
that he had growled before he had had time to think. He was sorry the
very instant he did it.
"That certainly was a stupid thing to do," muttered Old Man Coyote to
himself, as he watched Reddy Fox run away in a panic. "I should have
kept out of sight and let him open that gate and go inside first. There
may be traps in there, for all I know. When there's likely to be danger,
always let some one else find it out for you if you can." Old Man Coyote
grinned as he said this.
Reddy Fox sat down at a safe distance to watch what Old Man Coyote
would do. Inside, Reddy was fairly boiling with disappointment and
anger. He felt that he hated Old Man Coyote more than he hated anybody
else he knew of. He hated him, yet there wasn't a thing he could do
about it. He didn't dare fight Old Man Coyote. All he could do was to
sit there at a safe distance and watch.
The gate of the henyard was open two or three inches. For a long time
Old Man Coyote stood looking through that little opening. Once or twice
he thrust his nose out and sniffed cautiously around the gate, but he
took the greatest care not to touch it. Finally he turned and trotted
away towards the Green Forest.
Reddy sat right where he was, so surprised that he couldn't even think.
He waited a long time to see if Old Man Coyote would return, but Old Man
Coyote didn't return, and at last Reddy cautiously crept towards that
unlocked gate. "I do believe that fellow didn't know enough to push that
gate open," muttered Reddy to himself. "I always supposed Old Man Coyote
was smart, but if this is an example of his smartness I'll match my wits
against his any day."
All this time Old Man Coyote was not so far away as Reddy thought. He
had gone only fat enough to make sure that Reddy couldn't see him. Then,
creeping along in the blackest of the Black Shadows, he had returned to
a place where he could watch Reddy.
"It's queer that gate should have been left unlocked," thought Old Man
Coyote. "It may have been an accident, and again it may have been done
purposely. There may not be any danger inside; then again there may. I'm
not going to push that gate open or step inside when there is some one
to do it for me. I'll just leave it for Reddy Fox to do."
CHAPTER XIII
THE MISCHIEVOUS LITTLE NIGHT BREEZE
A little act of mischief can
Upset the deepest, best laid plan.
_Bowser the Hound._
Reddy Fox was very pleased with himself as he thought how much smarter
he was than Old Man Coyote. He didn't waste any time in pushing open the
henyard gate. It didn't enter his head that there might be a trap
inside. He was so eager to find out if the little door where in daytime
the hens ran in and out of the henhouse was open, that he jumped inside
the henyard just as soon as the gate was pushed open wide enough for him
to enter.
Old Man Coyote, watching from his hiding place, saw Reddy push the gate
open and enter the henyard. "So far, so good," muttered Old Man Coyote
to himself. "There isn't any trap just inside that gate, so it will be
safe enough for me to follow Reddy in there. I think I'll wait a bit,
however, and see what luck he has in getting into the henhouse. If he
catches a chicken he won't stop to eat it there. He won't dare to. All I
need do is to wait right here around the corner, and if he brings a
chicken out, I'll simply tell him to drop it. Then I will have the
chicken and will have run no risk." You see Old Man Coyote is a very,
very clever old sinner.
So Old Man Coyote peeked through the wires and watched Reddy Fox, who
thought himself so much smarter, steal swiftly across to the henhouse
and try that little door. It was closed, but it wasn't fastened, as
Reddy could tell by poking at it.
"It is just a matter of time and patience," muttered Reddy to himself.
"If I keep at it long enough, I can work it open." You see Reddy had
done that very thing once before a great while ago.
So he set himself to work with such patience as he could, and all the
time Old Man Coyote watched and wondered what Reddy was doing. He
guessed that Reddy was having some trouble, but also he knew from
Reddy's actions that Reddy hoped to get inside that henhouse.
Now Reddy had left the henyard gate ajar. If he had pushed it wide open
things might have been different. But he didn't push it wide open. He
left it only halfway open. By and by there happened along a mischievous
little Night Breeze. There is nothing that a mischievous little Night
Breeze enjoys more than making things move. This mischievous little
Night Breeze found that that gate would swing, so it blew against that
gate and blew and blew until suddenly, with a sharp little click, the
gate closed and the spring latch snapped into place. Reddy Fox was a
prisoner!
CHAPTER XIV
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BEING INSIDE AND OUTSIDE
You'll find 'twill often come about
That he who's in fain would be out.
_Bowser the Hound._
It certainly is queer what a difference there is between being inside
and outside. Sometimes happiness is inside and sometimes it is outside.
Sometimes the one who is inside wishes with all his might that he were
outside, and sometimes the one who is outside would give anything in the
world to be inside.
Just take the case of Reddy Fox. He had stolen inside of Farmer Brown's
henyard, leaving the gate halfway open. He had set himself to work to
open the little sliding door through which in the daytime the hens
passed in and out of the henhouse. As he worked he had been filled with
great contentment and joy. He knew that Bowser the Hound had
disappeared. He felt sure that there was nothing to fear, and he fully
expected to dine that night on chicken. Then along came a mischievous
little Night Breeze and swung that gate shut.
At the click of the latch Reddy turned his head, and in a flash he saw
what had happened. All in an instant everything had changed for Reddy
Fox. Fear and despair took the place of contentment and happy
anticipations. He was a prisoner inside that henyard.
Frantically Reddy rushed over to the gate. There wasn't even a crack
through which he could thrust his sharp little nose. Then, beside
himself with fear, he raced around that henyard, seeking a hole through
which he might escape. There wasn't any hole. That fence had been built
to keep out such people as Reddy Fox, and of course a fence that would
keep Reddy out would also keep him in, if he happened to be caught
inside as he now was. He couldn't dig down under it, because, you know,
the ground was frozen hard and covered with snow and an icy crust. He
was caught, and that was all there was to it.
Suddenly Reddy became aware of some one just outside the wire fence,
looking in and grinning wickedly. It was Old Man Coyote. Between them
was nothing but that wire, but, oh, what a difference! Reddy was inside
and a prisoner. Old Man Coyote was outside and free.
"Good evening, Reddy," said Old Man Coyote. "I hope you'll enjoy your
chicken dinner. When you are eating it, just think over this bit of
advice: Never take a risk when you can get some one else to take it for
you. I would like a chicken dinner myself, but as it is, I think I will
enjoy a Mouse or two better. Pay my respects to Farmer Brown's boy when
he comes in the morning."
With this, Old Man Coyote once more grinned that wicked grin of his and
trotted away towards the Green Forest. Reddy watched him disappear and
would have given anything in the world to have been outside the fence in
his place instead of inside, where he then was.
CHAPTER XV
REDDY'S FORLORN CHANCE
This saying is both true and terse:
There's nothing bad but might be worse.
_Bowser the Hound._
If any one had said this to Reddy Fox during the first half hour after
he discovered that he was a prisoner in Farmer Brown's henyard, he
wouldn't have believed it. He wouldn't have believed a word of it. He
would have said that he couldn't possibly have been worse off than he
was.
He was a prisoner, and he couldn't possibly get out. He knew that in the
morning Farmer Brown's boy would certainly discover him. It couldn't be
otherwise. That is, it couldn't be otherwise as long as he remained in
that henyard. There wasn't a thing, not one solitary thing, under or
behind which he could hide. So, to Reddy's way of thinking, things
couldn't possibly have been worse.
But after a while, having nothing else to do, Reddy began to think. Now
it is surprising how thinking will change matters. One of the first
thoughts that came to Reddy was that he might have been caught in a
trap,--one of those cruel traps that close like a pair of jaws and
sometimes break the bones of the foot or leg, and from which there is
no escape. Right away Reddy realized that to have been so caught would
have been much worse than being a prisoner in Farmer Brown's henyard.
This made him feel just a wee, wee bit better, and he began to do some
more thinking.
For a long time his thinking didn't help him in the least. At last,
however, he remembered the chicken dinner he had felt so sure he was
going to enjoy. The thought of the chicken dinner reminded him that
inside the henhouse it was dark. He had been inside that henhouse
before, and he knew that there were boxes in there. If he were inside
the henhouse, it might be, it just might possibly be, that he could
hide when Farmer Brown's boy came in the morning.
So once more Reddy went to work at that little sliding door where the
hens ran in and out during the day. He already had found out that it
wasn't fastened, and he felt sure that with patience he could open it.
So he worked away and worked away, until at last there was a little
crack. He got his claws in the little crack and pulled and pulled. The
little crack became a little wider. By and by it was wide enough for him
to get his whole paw in. Then it became wide enough for him to get his
head half in. After this, all he had to do was to force himself
through, for as he pushed and shoved, the little door opened. He was
inside at last! There was a chance, just a forlorn chance, that he might
be able to escape the notice of Farmer Brown's boy in the morning.
CHAPTER XVI
WHY REDDY WENT WITHOUT A CHICKEN DINNER
A dinner is far better lost
Than eaten at too great a cost.
_Bowser the Hound._
Can you imagine Reddy Fox with a chicken dinner right before him and not
touching it? Well, that is just what happened in Farmer Brown's
henhouse. It wasn't because Reddy had no appetite. He was hungry, very
hungry. He always is in winter. Then it doesn't often happen that he
gets enough to eat at one meal to really fill his stomach. Yet here he
was with a chicken dinner right before him, and he didn't touch it.
You see it was this way: Reddy's wits were working very fast there in
Farmer Brown's henhouse. He knew that he had only a forlorn chance of
escaping when Farmer Brown's boy should come to open the henhouse in the
morning. He knew that he must make the most of that forlorn chance. He
knew that freedom is a thousand times better than a full stomach.
On one of the lower roosts sat a fat hen. She was within easy jumping
distance. Reddy knew that with one quick spring she would be his. If the
henyard gate had been open, he would have wasted no time in making that
one quick spring. But the henyard gate, as you know, was closed fast.
"I'm awfully hungry," muttered Reddy to himself, "but if I should catch
and eat that fat hen, Farmer Brown's boy would be sure to notice the
feathers on the floor the very minute he opened the door. It won't do,
Reddy; it won't do. You can't afford to have the least little thing seem
wrong in this henhouse. What you have got to do is to swallow your
appetite and keep quiet in the darkest corner you can find,"
So Reddy Fox spent the rest of the night curled up in the darkest
corner, partly behind a box. All the time his nose was filled with the
smell of fat hens. Every little while a hen who was being crowded too
much on the roost would stir uneasily and protest in a sleepy voice.
Just think of what Reddy suffered. Just think how you would feel to be
very, very hungry and have right within reach the one thing you like
best in all the world to eat and then not dare touch it. Some foolish
folks in Reddy's place would have eaten that dinner and trusted to luck
to get out of trouble later. But Reddy was far too wise to do anything
of that kind.
Doing as Reddy did that night is called exercising self-restraint.
Everybody should be able to do it. But it sometimes seems as if very
many people cannot do it. Anyway, they don't do it, and because they
don't do it they are forever getting into trouble.
Reddy knew when morning came, although the henhouse was still dark.
Somehow or other hens always know just when jolly, round, red Mr. Sun
kicks his blankets off and begins his daily climb up in the blue, blue
sky. The big rooster on the topmost perch stretched his long neck,
flapped his wings, and crowed at the top of his voice. Reddy shivered.
"It won't be long now before Farmer Brown's boy comes," thought he.
CHAPTER XVII
FARMER BROWN'S BOY DROPS A PAN OF CORN
Who when surprised keeps calm and cool
Is one most difficult to fool.
_Bowser the Hound._
In his lifetime Reddy Fox has spent many anxious moments, but none more
anxious than those in which he waited for Farmer Brown's boy to open the
henhouse and feed the biddies on this particular morning.
From the moment when the big rooster on the topmost perch stretched
forth his neck, flapped his wings, and crowed as only he can crow, Reddy
was on pins and needles, as the saying is. Hiding behind a box in the
darkest corner of the henhouse, he hardly dared to breathe. You see, he
didn't want those hens to discover him. He knew that if they did they
would make such a racket that they would bring Farmer Brown's boy
hurrying out to find out what the trouble was.
Reddy had had experience with hens before. He knew that if Farmer
Brown's boy heard them making a great racket, he would know that
something was wrong, and he would come all prepared. This was the one
thing that Reddy did not want. His one chance to escape would be to take
Farmer Brown's boy entirely by surprise.
Never had time dragged more slowly. The hens were awake, and several of
them flew down to the floor of the henhouse. They passed so close to
where Reddy was hiding that merely by reaching out a black paw he could
have touched them. Because he took particular pains not to move, not
even to twitch a black ear, they did not see him. Anyway, if they did
see him, they took no notice of him. How the moments did drag! All the
time he lay there listening, wishing that Farmer Brown's boy would come,
yet dreading to have him come. It seemed ages before he heard sounds
which told him that people were awake in Farmer Brown's house.
Finally he heard a distant door slam. Then he heard a whistle, a merry
whistle. It drew nearer and nearer; Farmer Brown's boy was coming to
feed the hens. Reddy tried to hold his breath. He heard the click of the
henyard gate as Farmer Brown's boy opened it, then he heard the crunch,
crunch, crunch of Farmer Brown's boy's feet on the snow.
Suddenly the henhouse door was thrown open and Farmer Brown's boy
stepped inside. In his hand he held a pan filled with the breakfast he
had brought for the hens. Suddenly a box in the darkest corner of the
henhouse moved. Farmer Brown's boy turned to look, and as he did so a
slim form dashed fairly between his legs. It startled him so that he
dropped the pan and spilled the corn all over the henhouse floor. "Great
Scott!" he exclaimed. "What under the sun was that?" and rushed to the
door to see. He was just in time to get a glimpse of a red coat and a
bushy tail disappearing around a corner of the barn.
CHAPTER XVIII
MUTUAL RELIEF
The wise Fox knows that with every chicken he steals he puts an
increased price on his own skin.