The Adventures of Reddy Fox : Chapters 01-05

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Episode Transcript

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Section one of the Adventures of ReddyFox. This is a LibriVox recording.
All LibriVox recordings are in the publicdomain. For more information or to volunteer,
please visit LibriVox dot org. Recordingby John Leader. The Adventures of
Reddy Fox by Thornton W. Burgess. Chapter one, Granny Fox gives Ready

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a scare. Reddy Fox lived withGranny Fox. You see, Reddy was
one of a large family, solarge that mother Fox had hard work to
feed so many hungry little mouths,and so she had let Reddy go to
live with old Granny Fox. GrannyFox was the wisest, slyest, smartest

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fox in all the country round,and now that Reddy had grown so big,
she thought it about time that hebegan to learn the things that every
fox should know. So every dayshe took him hunting with her and taught
him all the things that she hadlearned about hunting, about how to steal
Farmer Brown's chickens without awakening Bowser thehound, and all about the thousand and

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one ways of fooling a dog thatshe had learned. This morning, Grannie
Fox had taken Ready across the greenmeadows up through the green forest and over
to the railroad track. Ready hadnever been there before, and he didn't
know just what to make of it. Granny trotted ahead until they came to
a long bridge. Then she stopped. Come here, ready, and look

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down, she commanded. Reddy didas he was told, but a glance
down made him giddy, so giddythat he nearly fell. Grannie Fox grinned.
Come across, said she, andran lightly across to the other side.
But Reddy Fox was afraid, Yes, sir, he was afraid to

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take one step on the long bridge. He was afraid that he would fall
through into the water or onto thecruel rocks below. Grannie Fox ran back
to where Reddy sat for shame.Ready Fox said she, what are you
afraid of? Just don't look downand you will be safe enough. Now,

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come along over with me. ButReddy Fox hung back and begged to
go home and whimpered. Suddenly,Grannie Fox sprang to her feet, as
if in great fright. Bowser thehound, come ready, Come, she
cried, and started across the bridgeas fast as she could go. Ready
didn't stop to look or to think. His one idea was to get away

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from Bowser the Hound. Wait,Grannie, Wait, he cried, and
started after her as fast as hecould run. He was in the middle
of the bridge before he remembered itat all. When he was at last
safely across it was to find oldGrannie Fox sitting down, laughing at him.

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Then, for the first time,Reddy looked behind him to see where
Bowser the Hound might be. Hewas nowhere to be seen. Could he
have fallen off the bridge? Whereis Bowser the Hound? Cried Reddy?
Home in Farmer Brown's dooryard, repliedGrannie Fox dryly. Ready stared at her

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for a minute. Then he beganto understand that Grannie Fox had simply scared
him into running across the bridge.Reddy felt very cheap, very cheap.
Indeed, Now we'll run back again, said Grannie Fox, and this time
Ready did. End of Chapter one, Chapter two Grannie shows Ready a trick.

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Every day, Grannie Fox led ReddyFox over to the long railroad bridge
and made him run back and forthacross it until he had no fear of
it whatever. At first it hadmade him dizzy, but now he could
run across at the top of hisspeed and not mind it in the least.
I don't see what good it doesto be able to run across a

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bridge. Anyone can do that,exclaimed Ready. One day, Grannie Fox
smiled. Do you remember the firsttime you tried to do it? She
asked. Reddy hung his head.Of course, he remembered, remembered that
Grannie. It had to scare himinto crossing that first time. Suddenly Grannie

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Fox lifted her head. Hark,she exclaimed. Ready pricked up his sharp
pointed ears. Way off back inthe direction from which they had come,
they heard the baying of a dog. It wasn't the voice of Bowser the
hound, but of a younger dog. Grannie listened for a few minutes.

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The voice of the dog grew louderas it drew nearer. He certainly is
following our track, said Grannie Fox. Now, ready, you run across
the bridge and watch from the topof the little hill over there. Perhaps
I can show you a trick thatwill teach you why I have made you
learn to run across the bridge.Ready trotted across the long bridge and up

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to the top of the hill asGrannie had told him to. Then he
sat down to watch. Granny trottedout in the middle of the field and
sat down. Pretty soon a younghound broke out of the bushes, his
nose in Grannie's track. Then helooked up and saw her, and his
voice grew still more savage and eager. Grannie Fox started to run as soon

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as she was sure that the houndhad seen her, but she did not
run very fast. Ready did notknow what to make of it, for
Grannie seemed simply to be playing withthe hound and not really trying to get
away from him at all. Prettysoon Ready heard another sound. It was
a long, low rumble. Thenthere was a distant whistle. It was

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a train. Grannie heard it twoas she ran. She began to work
back toward the long bridge. Thetrain was in sight now. Suddenly Grannie
Fox started across the bridge so fastthat she looked like a little red streak.
The dog was close at her heelswhen she started, and he was
so eager to catch her that hedidn't see either the bridge or the train.

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But he couldn't begin to run asfast as Grannie Fox. Oh my
no. When she had reached theother side, he wasn't halfway across,
and right behind him whistling for himto get out of the way. Was
the train. The hound gave onefrightened yelp, and then he did the

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only thing he could do. Heleaped down down into the swift water below,
and the last Ready saw of himhe was frantically trying to swim ashore.
Now you know why I wanted youto learn to cross a bridge.
It's a very nice way of gettingrid of dogs, said Granny Fox as

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she climbed up beside Ready. Endof chapter two. Chapter three, Bowser
the Hound isn't fooled. Reddy Foxhad been taught so much by Granny Fox
that he began to feel very wiseand very important. Reddy is naturally smart,
and he had been very quick tolearn the tricks that old Granny Fox

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had taught him. But Reddy Foxis a boaster. Every day he swaggered
about on the green meadows and braggedhow smart he was. Blacky the Crow
grew tired of Reddy's boasting. Ifyou're so smart, what is the reason
you always keep out of site ofBowser the Hound asked Blackie. For my

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part, I don't believe that youare smart enough to fool him. A
lot of little meadow people heard Blackiesay this, and Reddy knew it.
He also knew that if he didn'tprove Blackie in the wrong, he would
be laughed at forever after. Suddenlyhe remembered the trick that Granny Fox had

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played on the young Hound at therailroad bridge. Why not play the same
trick on Bowser and invite Blackie theCrow to see him do it? He
would, If you will be overat the railroad bridge when the train comes
this afternoon, I'll show you howeasy it is to fool Bowser the Hound,
said Reddy. Blackie agreed to bethere, and ready started off to

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find out where Bowser was. Blackietold everyone he met how Reddy Fox had
promised to fool Bowser the Hound,and every time he told it he chuckled,
as if he thought it was thebest joke. Blackie the Crow was
on hand promptly that afternoon, andwith him came his cousin, Sammy Jay.

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Presently they saw Reddy Fox hurrying acrossthe fields, and behind him,
in full cry, came Bowser theHound, just as old Granny Fox had
done with the young Hound. Readyallowed Bowser to get very near him,
and then as the train came roaringalong, he raced across the long bridge

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just ahead of it. He hadthought that Bowser would be so intent on
catching him that he would not noticethe train until he was on the bridge
and it was too late, ashad been the case with the young hound,
then Bowser would have to jump downinto the swift river or be run
over. As soon as Ready wasacross the bridge, he jumped off the

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track and turned to see what wouldhappen to Bowser the Hound. The train
was halfway across the bridge, butBowser was no where to be seen.
He must have jumped already. Readysat down and grinned in the most self
satisfied way. The long train roaredpast, and Ready closed his eyes to

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shut out the dust and smoke.When he opened them again, he looked
right into the wide open mouth ofBowser the Hound, who was not ten
feet away. Did you think youcan fool me with that old trick?
Roared Bowser. Ready didn't stop tomake reply. He just started off at

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the top of his speed, abadly frightened little fox. You see,
Bowser the Hound knew all about thattrick, and he had just waited until
the train had passed, and thenhad run across the bridge right behind it.
And as Reddy Fox, out ofbreath and tired, ran to seek

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the aid of Granny Fox in gettingread of Bowser the Hound, he heard
a sound that made him grind histeeth. Ah ha ha, how smart
we are. It was Blackie theCrow. End of chapter three. Chapter
four, Reddy Fox grows bold.Reddy Fox was growing bold. Everybody said

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so, and what everybody says mustbe so. Reddy Fox had always been
very sly and not bold at all. The truth is, Reddy Fox had
so many times fooled bows With theHound and Farmer Brown's boy, that he
had begun to think himself very smart. Indeed, he had really fooled himself.

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Yes, sir, Reddy Fox hadfooled himself. He thought himself so
smart that nobody could fool him.Now. It is one of the worst
habits in the world to think toomuch of oneself, and Reddy Fox had
the habit home. My, yes, Reddy Fox certainly did have the habit.

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When anyone mentioned bows or the Hound, Reddy would turn up his nose
and say, pooh, it's theeasiest thing in the world to fool him.
You see, he had forgotten allabout the time Bowser had fooled him
at the railroad bridge. Whenever Reddysaw Farmer Brown's boy, he would say,

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with the greatest scorn, who's afraidof him? Not? I?
So as Reddy Fox thought more andmore about his own smartness, he grew
bolder and bolder. Almost every nighthe visited Farmer Brown's henyard. Farmer Brown
set traps all around the yard,but Reddy always found them and kept out

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of them. It got so thatUncle Billy Possum and Jimmy Skunk didn't dare
go to the hen house for eggsanymore, for fear that they would get
into one of the traps set forReddy Fox. Of course they missed those
fresh eggs, and of course theyblamed Reddy Fox. Niver mind, said

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Jimmy Skunk, scowling down on thegreen meadows where Reddy Fox was taking a
sunbath. Flammy Brown's buoy will gethim, yet, I hope he does.
Jimmy said this a little spitefully,and just as if he really meant
it. Now, when people thinkthat they are very, very smart,
they like to show off. Youknow, it isn't any fun at all

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to feel smart unless others can seehow smart you are. So Reddy Fox,
just to show off, grew verybold, very bold. Indeed,
he actually went up to Farmer Brown'shenyard in broad daylight and almost under the
nose of boughs or the hound,he caught the pet chicken of Farmer Brown's

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boy. Old mister Buzzard, sailingoverhead high up in the blue blue sky,
saw Reddy Fox and shook his baldhead. I see Trouble on the
way. Yes, I'd do,Yes, I do. Hope it ain't
a gwine to stay. Yes,I do, Yes, I'd do Trouble.
I'm a spri o man, boundto find you if he can.

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If he finds you, bound tostick. When I see him, I
runs quick. Yes, I'd do, Yes, I'd do. But Reddy
Fox thought himself so smart that itseemed as if he really were hunting for
old mister Trouble, And when hecaught the pet chicken of Farmer Brown's boy,
ol Mister Trouble was right at hisheels. End of chapter four,

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Chapter five, Ready grows Careless.Old mister Buzzard was right. Trouble was
right at the heels of Reddy Fox. Although Reddy wouldn't have believed it if
he had been told he had stolenthat plump pet's chicken of Farmer Brown's boy
for no reason i to the sun, but to show off. He wanted

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everyone to know how bold he was. He thought himself so smart that he
could do just exactly what he pleased, and no one could stop him.
He liked to strut around through thegreen forest and over the green meadows and
brag about what he had done andwhat he could do. Now. People
who brag and boast and who liketo show off are almost sure to come

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to grief, and when they do, very few people are sorry for them.
None of the little meadow when forestpeople liked Reddy Fox anyway, and
they were getting so tired of hisboasting that they just ached to see him
get into trouble. Yes, sir, they just ached to see Reddy get
into trouble. Peter Rabbit, Happygo lucky. Peter Rabbit shook his head

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gravely when he heard how ready hadstolen that pet chicken a farmer Brown's boy
and was boasting about it to everyone. Reddy Fox is getting so puffed up
that pretty soon he won't be ableto see his own feet, said Peter
Rabbit. Well what if he doesn't, demanded Jimmy Skunk. Peter looked at
Jimmy in disgust. He comes togrief, however, fleet who doesn't watch

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his flying feet? Jimmy Skunk,if you didn't have that little bag a
set that everybody is afraid of,you would be a lot more careful.
Will you step, replied Peter.If Reddy doesn't watch out, someday he'll
step right into a trap. JimmySkunk chuckled as he would, said he

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now. When Farmer Brown's boy heardabout the boldness of Reddy Fox, he
shut his mouth tight in a waythat was unpleasant to see, and reached
for his gun. I can't affordto raise chickens to feed foxes, said
he. Then he whistled for Bowserthe Hound, and together they started out.
It wasn't long before Bowser found Reddy'stracks. Bow Woa ohoo woa,

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roared Bowser the Hound. Reddy Fox, taking a nap on the edge of
the green forest, heard Bowser's big, deep voice. He pricked up his
ears. Then he grinned. Ifeel just like a good run today,
said he, and he trotted offalong the crooked little path down the hill.
Now, this was a beautiful summerday, and Ready knew that in

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summer men and boys seldom hunt foxes. It's only Bowser the hound, thought
Reddy, and what, I've hada good run. I'll play a trick
on him so that he will losemy track. So Reddy didn't use his
eyes as he should have done.You see, he thought himself so smart
that he had grown careless. Yes, sir, Reddy Fox had grown careless.

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He kept looking back to see whereBowser the Hound was, but didn't
look around to make sure that noother danger was near. Oh, mister
Buzzard, sailing round and round,way up in the blue blue sky,
could see everything going on down below. He could see Reddy Fox running along
the edge of the green forest,and every few minutes stopping to chuckle and

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listen to bows On the hound tryingto pick out the trail Ready had made
so hard to follow by his twistsand turns. And he saw something else,
did old mister Buzzard. It lookedto him very much like the barrel
of a gun sticking out from behindan old tree just ahead of Ready.
I reckon, it's just Like Isaid, Reddy Fox, he's gone to

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meet Trouble Rat's motsoon muttered old misterBuzzard. End of Chapter five and end
of section one. Recording by JohnLeader, Bloomington, Illinois,