it still no longer.
"If you please," said Little Joe Otter, "I'll run down to the Smiling
Pool and get that sucker to add to the feast."

No sooner was Little Joe Otter out of sight than Reddy Fox was reminded
of a field of carrots on the other side of the Green Meadows. Now
Peter Rabbit and Jumper the Hare are very fond of tender young carrots
and they volunteered to bring a supply for the feast. So away they
hurried with big jumps down the Lone Little Path and out across the
Green Meadows.

No sooner were Peter Rabbit and Jumper the Hare fairly started than
Reddy Fox began to tell of some luscious sweet apples he had noticed
under a wild apple tree a little way back on the hill. Now Jerry
Muskrat is quite as fond of luscious sweet apples as of fresh-water
clams, so quietly slipping away, he set out in quest of the wild apple
tree a little way back on the hill.

No sooner was Jerry Muskrat lost in the black shadows than Reddy Fox
turned to speak to Shadow the Weasel. But Shadow the Weasel believes
that a feast in the stomach is worth two banquets untasted, so while
the others had been talking, he had quietly sucked dry the three big
eggs stolen by Jimmy Skunk from old Gray Goose, and then because he is
so slim and so quick and so sly, he slipped away without anyone seeing
him.

So when Reddy Fox turned to speak to Shadow the Weasel, he found
himself alone. At least he thought himself alone, and he smiled a
wicked, selfish smile as he walked over to Billy Mink's duck. He was
thinking how smart he had been to get rid of all the others, and of how
he would enjoy the feast all by himself.

As Reddy Fox stooped to pick up Billy Mink's duck, a great shadow
dropped softly, oh so softly, out of the Lone Pine down onto the plump
chicken. Then without the teeniest, weeniest bit of noise, it floated
back into the Lone Pine and with it went the plump chicken.

Reddy Fox, still with his wicked, selfish smile, trotted back with
Billy Mink's duck, but he dropped it in sheer surprise when he
discovered that his plump chicken had disappeared. Now Reddy Fox is
very suspicious, as people who are not honest themselves are very apt
to be. So he left Billy Mink's duck where he had dropped it and
trotted very, very softly up the Lone Little Path to try to catch the
thief who had stolen his plump chicken.

No sooner was his back turned than down out of the Lone Pine floated
the great shadow, and when a minute later Reddy Fox