t all. If I shut them up every night and
am not careless, he can't get them. But accidents will happen, and I
might do just as I did last night--think I had locked up when I hadn't.
I don't like to set a trap for Reddy, but I must teach the rascal a
lesson. If I don't, he will get so bold that those chickens won't be
safe even in broad daylight."

Now at just that very time over in their home, Granny and Reddy Fox were
talking over plans for the future, and shrewd old Granny was pointing
out to Reddy how necessary it was that they should keep away from that
henyard for some time. "We've had a good dinner, a splendid dinner, and
if we are smart enough we may be able to get more good dinners where
this one came from," said she. "But we certainly won't if we are too
greedy."

"But I don't believe Farmer Brown's boy has missed those two chickens,
and I don't see any reason at all why we shouldn't go back there
to-night and get two more if he is stupid enough to leave that gate and
little door open," whined Reddy.

"Maybe he hasn't missed those two, but if we should take two more he
certainly would miss them, and he would guess what had become of them,
and that might get us into no end of trouble," snapped Granny. "We are
not starving now, and the best thing for us to do is to keep away from
that henhouse until we can't get anything to eat anywhere else, Now you
mind what I tell you, Reddy, and don't you dare go near there."

Reddy promised, and so it came about that Farmer Brown's boy hunted up
a trap all for nothing so far as Reddy and Granny were concerned. Very
carefully he bound strips of cloth around the jaws of the trap, for
he couldn't bear to think of those cruel jaws cutting into the leg
of Reddy, should he happen to get caught. You see, Farmer Brown's boy
didn't intend to kill Reddy if he should catch him, but to make him a
prisoner for a while and so keep him out of mischief. That night he hid
the trap very cunningly just inside the henhouse where any one creeping
through that little hole made for the hens to go in and out would be
sure to step in it. Then he purposely left the little sliding door open
part way as if it had been forgotten, and he also left the henyard gate
open just as he had done the night before.

"There now, Master Reddy," said he, talking to himself, "I rather think
that you are going to get into trouble before morning."

And doubtless Reddy would have done just that thing but for the w