odpecker began such a furious rat-a-tat-tat-tat on the trunk of the
old tree that it rang through the Green Forest and out across the Green
Meadows almost to the Purple Hills.

Down at the foot of the tree a freckled face on which there was a black
scowl looked up. It was the face of Farmer Brown's boy.

"What ails that pesky woodpecker?" he muttered. "If he doesn't keep
still, he'll scare that fox!"

He shook a fist at Drummer, but Drummer didn't appear to notice. He kept
right on, rat-a-tat-tat-tat, rat-a-tat-tat-tat, rat-a-tat-tat-tat!

VII. Too Late Reddy Fox Hears

Drummer the Woodpecker was pounding out his danger signal so fast and
so hard that his red head flew back and forth almost too fast to see.
Rat-a-tat-tat-a-tat-tat, beat Drummer on the old tree trunk on the edge
of the Green Forest. When he stopped for breath, he looked down into the
scowling face of Farmer Brown's boy, who was hiding behind the old tree
trunk.

Drummer didn't like the looks of that scowl, not a bit. And he didn't
like the looks of the gun which Farmer Brown's boy had. He knew that
Farmer Brown's boy was hiding there to shoot Reddy Fox, but Drummer was
beginning to be afraid that Farmer Brown's boy might guess what all
that drumming meant--that it was a warning to Reddy Fox. And if Farmer
Brown's boy did guess that, why--why--anyway, on the other side of the
tree there was a better place to drum. So Drummer the Woodpecker crept
around to the other side of the tree and in a minute was drumming harder
than ever. Whenever he stopped for breath, he looked out over the Green
Meadows to see if Reddy Fox had heard his warning.

But if Reddy had heard, he hadn't heeded. Just to show off before all
the little meadow and forest people, Reddy had waited until Bowser the
Hound had almost reached him. Then, with a saucy flirt of his tail,
Reddy Fox started to show how fast he could run, and that is very fast
indeed. It made Bowser the Hound seem very slow, as, with his nose to
the ground, he came racing after Reddy, making a tremendous noise with
his great voice.

Now Reddy Fox had grown as careless as he had grown bold. Instead of
looking sharply ahead, he looked this way and that way to see who was
watching and admiring him. So he took no note of where he was going and
started straight for the old tree trunk on which Drummer the Woodpecker
was pounding out his warning of danger.

Now Reddy Fox has sharp eyes and very quick ears. My,