hing of the painful scratches from the briars.
It was no trouble at all for Peter to keep out of his way, and before
long Reddy gave up. Without a word Granny Fox led the way to the Green
Forest. They would try to find where Mrs. Grouse was sleeping under the
snow. But though they hunted all night, they failed to find her, for she
wisely had gone to bed in a spruce-tree.

CHAPTER XIII: Granny Fox Admits Growing Old

Who will not admit he is older each day
fools no one but himself.
--Old Granny Fox.

Old Granny Fox is a spry old lady for her age. If you don't believe it
just try to catch her. But spry as she is, she isn't as spry as she used
to be. No, Sir, Granny Fox isn't as spry as she used to be. The truth
is, Granny is getting old. She never would admit it, and Reddy never had
realized it until the day after the great storm. All that night they had
hunted in vain for something to eat and at daylight had crept into their
house to rest awhile before starting on another hunt. They had neither
the strength nor the courage to search any longer then. Wading through
snow is very hard work at best and very tiresome, but when your stomach
has been empty for so long that you almost begin to wonder what food
tastes like, it becomes harder work still. You see, it is food that
makes strength, and lack of food takes away strength.

This was why Granny and Reddy Fox just HAD to rest. Hungry as they were,
they HAD to give up for awhile. Reddy flung himself down, and if ever
there was a discouraged young Fox he was that one. "I wish I were dead,"
he moaned.

"Tut, tut, tut!" said Granny Fox sharply. "That's no way for a young Fox
to talk! I'm ashamed of you. I am indeed." Then she added more kindly:
"I know just how you feel. Just try to forget your empty stomach and
rest awhile. We have had a tiresome, disappointing, discouraging night,
but when you are rested things will not look quite so bad. You know the
old saying:

'Never a road so long is there
But it reaches a turn at last;
Never a cloud that gathers swift But
disappears as fast.'

You think you couldn't possibly feel any worse than you do right now,
but you could. Many a time I have had to go hungry longer than this.
After we have rested awhile we will go over to the Old Pasture. Perhaps
we will have better luck there."

So Reddy tried to forget the emptiness of his stomach and actually had a
nap, for he was very, very tired. When he awok