door, through the hollow tree,
and then jumped into a little brook where there was hardly more than
enough water to wet her feet. Walking in the water, she left no scent in
her tracks.

Bowser the Hound came roaring up to the front door of the old house.
Granny's tracks led right inside, and Bowser grew so excited that he
made a tremendous noise. At last he had found where Granny Fox lived; at
least he thought he had. He was sure that she was inside, for there
were her fresh tracks going inside and none coming out. Bowser the Hound
never once thought of looking for a back door. If he had, he wouldn't
have been any the wiser, because, you know, old Granny Fox had slipped
away through the hollow tree trunk.

Granny Fox grinned as she listened to the terrible fuss Bowser was
making. Then, when she had rested a little, she stole up on the hill
where she could look down and see the entrance to the old deserted
house. She watched Bowser digging and barking. After a while a worried
look crept into the face of old Granny Fox.

"Where's Farmer Brown's boy? I thought surely he would follow Bowser the
Hound," she muttered.

XXI. Reddy Fox Disobeys

When old Granny Fox had sent Reddy Fox into the house and told him to
stay there until she returned home, he had not wanted to mind, but he
knew that Granny Fox meant just what she said, and so he had crawled
slowly down the long hall to the bedroom, way underground.

Pretty soon Reddy Fox heard a voice. It was very faint, for you know
Reddy was in his bedroom way underground, but he knew it. He pricked up
his ears and listened. It was the voice of Bowser the Hound, and Reddy
knew by the sound that Bowser was chasing Granny Fox.

Reddy grinned. He wasn't at all worried about Granny Fox, not the least
little bit. He knew how smart she was and that whenever she wanted to,
she could get rid of Bowser the Hound. Then a sudden thought popped into
Reddy's head, and he grew sober.

"Granny did feel trouble coming, just as she said," he thought.

Then Reddy Fox curled himself up and tried to sleep. He intended to mind
and not put his little black nose outside until old Granny Fox returned.
But somehow Reddy couldn't get to sleep. His bedroom was small, and he
was so stiff and sore that he could not get comfortable. He twisted and
turned and fidgeted. The more he fidgeted, the more uncomfortable he
grew. He thought of the warm sunshine outside and how comfortable he
would be, st