e he met how Reddy Fox had promised to
fool Bowser the Hound, and every time he told it he chuckled as if he
thought it the best joke ever.

Blacky the Crow was on hand promptly that afternoon and with him came
his cousin, Sammy Jay. Presently they saw Reddy Fox hurrying across the
fields, and behind him in full cry came Bowser the Hound. Just as old
Granny Fox had done with the young hound, Reddy allowed Bowser to get
very near him and then, as the train came roaring along, he raced across
the long bridge just ahead of it. He had thought that Bowser would be so
intent on catching him that he would not notice the train until he was
on the bridge and it was too late, as had been the case with the young
hound. Then Bowser would have to jump down into the swift river or be
run over. As soon as Reddy was across the bridge, he jumped off the
track and turned to see what would happen to Bowser the Hound. The train
was halfway across the bridge, but Bowser was nowhere to be seen.
He must have jumped already. Reddy sat down and grinned in the most
self-satisfied way.

The long train roared past, and Reddy closed his eyes to shut out the
dust and smoke. When he opened them again, he looked right into the
wide-open mouth of Bowser the Hound, who was not ten feet away.

"Did you think you could fool me with that old trick?" roared Bowser.

Reddy didn't stop to make reply; he just started off at the top of his
speed, a badly frightened little fox.

You see, Bowser the Hound knew all about that trick and he had just
waited until the train had passed and then had run across the bridge
right behind it.

And as Reddy Fox, out of breath and tired, ran to seek the aid of Granny
Fox in getting rid of Bowser the Hound, he heard a sound that made him
grind his teeth.

"Haw, haw, haw! How smart we are!"

It was Blacky the Crow.

IV. Reddy Fox Grows Bold

Reddy Fox was growing bold. Everybody said so, and what everybody says
must be so. Reddy Fox had always been very sly and not bold at all. The
truth is Reddy Fox had so many times fooled Bowser the Hound and Farmer
Brown's boy that he had begun to think himself very smart indeed. He
had really fooled himself. Yes, Sir, Reddy Fox had fooled himself. He
thought himself so smart that nobody could fool him.

Now it is one of the worst habits in the world to think too much
of one's self. And Reddy Fox had the habit. Oh, my, yes! Reddy Fox
certainly did have the habit! When any