gth I found my mother in the rough pasture by the wood and told her
everything.

"Ah!" she said, "that's what comes of greediness and of trying to be too
clever. Now, perhaps, you will learn to stop at home."

So I did for a long while.

*****

The summer went by without anything particular happening, except that my
brother with the lame foot was eaten by the mother fox. That great red
beast was always prowling about, and at night surprised us in a field
near the wood where we were feeding on some beautiful turnips. The rest
of us got away, but my brother being lame, was not quick enough. The fox
caught him, and I heard her sharp white teeth crunch into his bones.
The sound made me quite sick, and my mother was very sad afterwards. She
complained to my father of the cruelty of foxes, but he, who, as I have
said, was a philosopher, answered her almost in her own words.

"Foxes must live, and this one has young to feed, and therefore is
always hungry. There are three of them in a hole at the top of the
wood," he remarked. "Also our son was lame and would certainly have been
caught when the hunting begins."

"What's the hunting?" I asked.

"Never mind," said my father sharply. "No doubt you'll find out in time,
that is if you live through the shooting."

"What's the shooting?" I began, but my father cuffed me over the head
and I was silent.

I may tell you that my mother soon got over the loss of my brother, for
just about that time she had four new little ones, after which neither
she nor my father seemed to think any more about us. My sister and
I hated those little ones. We two alone remembered my brother, and
sometimes wondered whether he was quite gone or would one day come back.
The fox, I am glad to say, got caught in a trap. At least I am not glad
now--I was glad because, you see, I was so much afraid of her.

THE SHOOTING

I was quite close by one morning when the fox, who was smelling about
after me, I suppose because it had liked my brother so much, got caught
in the big trap which was covered over artfully with earth and baited
with some stuff which stank horribly. I remember it looked very like my
own hind-legs. The fox, not being able to find me, went to this filth
and tried to eat it.

Then suddenly there was a dreadful fuss. The fox yelped and flew into
the air. I saw that a great black thing was fast on its forepaw. How
that fox did jump and roll! It was quite wonderful to see her. She