ed the old fence post!

The old fence post lay on the ground and was hollow. Fastened to
it were long wires with sharp, cruel barbs. Danny had made a
tunnel over to that old fence post the very first day after the
snow came, for in that hollow in the old post he had a secret
store of seeds. Why hadn't he thought of it before? It must have
been because he was too frightened to think. But he remembered
now, and he dodged into the tunnel that led to the old fence
post, running faster than ever, for though his heart was in his
mouth from fear, in his heart was hope, and hope is a wonderful
thing.

Now old Granny Fox knew all about that old fence post and she
remembered all about those barbed wires fastened to it. Although
they were covered with snow she knew just about where they lay,
and just before she reached them she stopped plunging down into
the snow. Reddy Fox knew about those wires, too, but he was so
excited that he forgot all about them.

"Stop!" cried old Granny Fox sharply.

But Reddy Fox didn't hear, or if he heard he didn't heed. His
sharp ears could hear Danny Meadow Mouse running almost
underneath him. Granny Fox could stop if she wanted to, but he
was going to have Danny Meadow Mouse for his breakfast! Down into
the snow he plunged as hard as ever he could.

"Oh! Oh! Wow! Wow! Oh dear! Oh dear!"

That wasn't the voice of Danny Meadow Mouse. Oh, my, no! It was
the voice of Reddy Fox. Yes, Sir, it was the voice of Reddy Fox.
He had landed with one of his black paws right on one of those
sharp wire barbs, and it did hurt dreadfully.

"I never did know a young Fox who could get into as much trouble
as you can!" snapped old Granny Fox, as Reddy hobbled along on
three legs behind her, across the snow-covered Green Meadows. "It
serves you right for forgetting!"

"Yes'm," said Reddy meekly.

And safe in the hollow of the old fence post, Danny Meadow Mouse
was dressing the scratch on his leg made by the claws of old
Granny Fox.

VII

Old Granny Fox Tries a New Plan

Old Granny Fox kept thinking about Danny Meadow Mouse. She knew
that he was fat, and it made her mouth water every time she
thought of him. She made up her mind that she must and would have
him. She knew that Danny had been very, very much frightened when
she and Reddy Fox had tried so hard to catch him by plunging
down through the snow into his little tunnels after him, and she
felt