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Show liv KORXTOjN W burgess Appearances can so deceive 'Tls hard to know what to believe. Young Fox. The young Fox who was Farmer Brown's Boy's prisoner had a new Interest In life. He spent most of his tlmo watching tho two gecso which Farmer Brown's Boy had brought home. For several days they were kept in tho henyard All day long the young Fox would watch them and dream dreams of catching one of them. How he did wish that Farmer Brown's Boy would iet thoso Be out! At last he did. It happened ono afternoon Farmer Brown's Bov opened tho henyard gate and out camo all the hens for exercise Final ly ura iwo (jpi-au cmuiv uui. 1 no young Fox hid In his house as he h id done so many times before when the hens were out. He no longer was interested in tho hens All his Interest In-terest was In those two geese, and not once did he take his eyes from them Farmer Brown's Boy sat down where he could keep watch of the hens. He had done this whenever me liens were out ever since ho had discovered dis-covered how the young Fox had : caught some of them Rut by and by he was called to the house I He first made sure that none of the hens were anywhere near the young Fox. lb' expected to be gono only a few moments and he felt sure that nothing would happen while he was absent. N'ow no sooner had Farmer Brown a Boy disappeared than those two geese took It Into their heads to explore ex-plore that barnyard, and the first place they headed for was over where the young Fox was a prisoner. Of course, they knew nothing about him They moved slowly and In i;-ther a stately way. with their heais bi Id high Now and then one would bend and pick something up from the ground. The young Fox was so excited that he shook all over. He wasn't afraid No, Indeed, he wasn't afraid- You see. those geese were such stupid - booking birds ti,:W it didn't occur to him that there might be anything to bfl afraid of. The young Fox grjw more and more excited. It seemed to him that he couldn't wait. He was so afraid that they would change their minds and go off In another direction that he had all he could do to keep from rushing out before they were within reach. When he had caught the hens he had waited until they were close t i his doorway. But this time he couldn't wait. No sir. he Simply couldn't wait. He knew exactly how long his chain was, and so the. instant those t: ese wero within tho length of that ha in the young Fox stole out and made ready to rush. That was where he made a mistake Yes. sir. I that was where he made a bad mistake mis-take He found It out He found it out almost at once- You see those geese were not as stupid as they looked The instant the youncr l"x moved the quick eyes of the gander saw him. The pander stopped, He saw the ounrr Fox 1 come out of his house and knew him for an encm at once Down went the head of the pander, with his neck stretched out full length and with his winirs half lifted. The young Fox paid no attention to him. for his eyes were fixed on the goose, who was a step or two nearer. The young Fox spranc forward. Just what happened next he didn't know, and doesn't know to this day. There was a terrible hissing sound, and then he was pounded and bat- .... M Nearer and nearer they waddled, tered and knocked this way apd that, so that ho couldn't get on his feel long enough to run back to his house My. my. my. such a thumping as he did receive' it seemed to hlrn that Mm olr 1,',, o full nrnn I great bills thnt hurt every time thf ' hit. That gander had met the young Fox half w;i. and he wasn't the leaat bit afraid. He struck with his bill and ho pounded with his wings, and those big, stout wings could strike a hard blow. (Copyright, 1922. by T. W Burgess ) |