the feast--the thing that he liked
best. Such an array as Mother Moon looked down upon! Reddy Fox had
brought a plump, tender chicken, stolen from Farmer Brown's dooryard.

Very quietly, like a thin, brown shadow, Billy Mink had slipped up to
the duck pond and--alas! Now Mother Quack had one less in her pretty
little flock than when as jolly, round, red Mr. Sun went to bed behind
the Purple Hills, she had counted her babies as they tucked their heads
under their wings.

Little Joe Otter had been fishing and he brought a great fat brother of
the lamented Tommy Trout, who didn't mind.

Jerry Muskrat brought up from the mud of the river bottom some fine
fresh water clams, of which he is very fond.

Jimmy Skunk stole three big eggs from the nest of old Gray Goose.

Peter Rabbit and Jumper the Hare rolled up a great, tender, fresh
cabbage.

Boomer the Nighthawk said that he was very sorry, but he was on a diet
of insects, which he must swallow one at a time, so to save trouble he
had swallowed them as he caught them.

Now Hooty the Owl is a glutton and is lazy. "Reddy Fox and Jimmy Skunk
and Billy Mink are sure to bring somethink [Transcriber's note:
something?] I like, so what is the use of spending my time hunting for
what someone else will get for me?" said he to himself. So Hooty the
Owl went very early to the Lone Pine and hid among the thick branches
where no one could see him.

Shadow the Weasel is sly and a thief and lives by his wits. So because
he had rather steal than be honest, he too went to the midnight spread
with nothing but his appetite.

Now Reddy Fox is also a glutton and very, very crafty. When he saw the
plump duck brought by Billy Mink, his mouth watered, for Reddy Fox is
very, very fond of young spring ducks. So straightway he began to plan
how he could get possession of Billy Mink's duck.

And when Billy Mink saw the fat trout Little Joe Otter had brought, his
eyes danced and his heart swelled with envy, for Billy Mink is very,
very fond of fish. At once he began to plan how he could secure that
particular fat trout Little Joe Otter guarded so carefully.

Jimmy Skunk was quite contented with the eggs he had stolen from old
Gray Goose--that is, he was until he saw the plump chicken Reddy Fox
had brought from Farmer Brown's dooryard. Then suddenly his stomach
became very empty, very empty indeed for chicken, and Jimmy Skunk began
to think of a way to add the chicken of Reddy Fox