now on the ground, any Fox with a reasonable amount of Fox sense in his
head can fool Bowser, but with snow everywhere it is a very different
matter. If Bowser once takes it into his head to follow your trail these
days, you will have to be smarter than I think you are to fool him. The
only way you will be able to get away from him will be by going into
a hole in the ground, and when you do that you will have given away a
secret that will mean we will never have any peace at all. We will never
know when Farmer Brown's boy will take it into his head to smoke us out.
I've seen it done. No, Sir, we are not going to try for one of those
hens in the daytime unless we are starving."

"I'm starving now," whined Reddy.

"No such thing!" Granny snapped. "I've been without food longer than
this many a time. Have you been over to the Big River lately?"

"No," replied Reddy. "What's the use? It's frozen over. There isn't
anything there."

"Perhaps not," replied Granny, "but I learned a long time ago that it
is a poor plan to overlook any chance. There is a place in the Big River
which never freezes because the water runs too swiftly to freeze, and
I've found more than one meal washed ashore there. You go over there now
while I see what I can find in the Green Forest. If neither of us finds
anything, it will be time enough to think about Farmer Brown's hens
to-morrow."

Much against his will Reddy obeyed. "It isn't the least bit of use," he
grumbled, as he trotted towards the Big River. "There won't be anything
there. It is just a waste of time."

Late that afternoon he came hurrying back, and Granny knew by the way
that he cocked his ears and carried his tail that he had news of some
kind. "Well, what is it?" she demanded.

"I found a dead fish that had been washed ashore," replied Reddy. "It
wasn't big enough for two, so I ate it."

"Anything else?" asked Granny.

"No-o," replied Reddy slowly; "that is, nothing that will do us any
good. Quacker the Wild Duck was swimming about out in the open water,
but though I watched and watched he never once came ashore."

"Ha!" exclaimed Granny. "That is good news. I think we'll go Duck
hunting."

CHAPTER II: Granny And Reddy Fox Go Hunting

When you're in doubt what course is right,
The thing to do is just sit tight.
--Old Granny Fox.

Jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun had just got well started on his daily
climb up in the blue, blue sky that morning when he spied