y now and then, particularly when he went
uphill.

He hunted with them too sometimes, chiefly by coming up and scaring
rabbits towards where the cubs lay ambushed, so that the bunnies ran
straight into their jaws.

He was useful to them in other ways, climbing up and robbing pigeon's
nests for the eggs which they relished exceedingly, or by occasionally
dispatching a hedgehog for them so they did not get the prickles in
their mouths. But while on his part he thus altered his conduct, they on
their side were not behindhand, but learnt a dozen human tricks from
him that are ordinarily wanting in Reynard's education.

One evening he went to a cottager who had a row of skeps, and bought one
of them, just as it was after the man had smothered the bees. This he
carried to the foxes that they might taste the honey, for he had seen
them dig out wild bees' nests often enough. The skep full was indeed a
wonderful feast for them, they bit greedily into the heavy scented comb,
their jaws were drowned in the sticky flood of sweetness, and they
gorged themselves on it without restraint. When they had crunched up the
last morsel they tore the skep in pieces, and for hours afterwards they
were happily employed in licking themselves clean.

That night he slept near their lair, but they left him and went hunting.
In the morning when he woke he was quite numb with cold, and faint with
hunger. A white mist hung over everything and the wood smelt of autumn.

He got up and stretched his cramped limbs, and then walked homewards.
The summer was over and Mr. Tebrick noticed this now for the first time
and was astonished. He reflected that the cubs were fast growing up,
they were foxes at all points, and yet when he thought of the time when
they had been sooty and had blue eyes it seemed to him only yesterday.
From that he passed to thinking of the future, asking himself as he had
done once before what would become of his vixen and her children. Before
the winter he must tempt them into the security of his garden, and
fortify it against all the dangers that threatened them.

But though he tried to allay his fear with such resolutions he remained
uneasy all that day. When he went out to them that afternoon he found
only his wife Silvia there and it was plain to him that she too was
alarmed, but alas, poor creature, she could tell him nothing, only lick
his hands and face, and turn about pricking her ears at every sound.

"Where are your ch