 Chapter 1 of the Tale of Tommy Fox This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Read by Lucy Burgoyne. The Tale of Tommy Fox by Arthur Scott Bailey Chapter 1 Tommy enjoys himself Tommy Fox was having a delightful time. If you could have come upon him in the woods, you would have been astonished at his antics. He leaped high off the ground and struck out with his paws. He opened his mouth and thrust his nose out and then clapped his jaws shut again with a snap. Tommy burrowed his sharp face into the dead leaves at his feet and tossed his head into the air. And then he jumped up and barked just like a puppy. If you could have hid behind a tree and watched Tommy Fox you would have said that he was playing with something but you never could have told what it was because you couldn't have seen it. And you may have three guesses now before I tell you what it was that Tommy was playing with. It was a feather. Yes Tommy had found a downy brownish feather in the woods which Old Mother Grouse had dropped in one of her flights and Tommy was having great sport with it. Tossing it up in the air and slapping and snapping at it as it drifted slowly down to the ground again. He grew quite excited did Tommy Fox. For he just couldn't help making believe that it was Old Mother Grouse herself and not merely one of the smallest feathers that he had found and he leaped and bounded and jumped and tumbled about and made a great fuss over nothing but that little soft brownish feather. There was something about that feather that made Tommy's nose twitch and wrinkle and tremble. Tommy sniffed and sniffed at the bit of down but he liked the smell of it. It made him feel very hungry and at last he felt so hungry that he decided he would go home and see if his mother had brought him something to eat. So he started home woods. I must explain that Tommy lived with his mother and that their house was right in the middle of one of Farmer Greens Fields not far from the foot of Blue Mountain. When Tommy was quite small his mother had chosen that place for her house which was really a den that she had dug in the ground. By having a house in the center of the field she knew that no one could creep up and catch Tommy when he was playing outside in the sunshine. Now Tommy was older and had begun to roam about in the woods and meadows alone but Mrs Fox liked her home in the field and so she continued to live there. Tommy was so hungry now and in such a hurry to reach home that you might think that he would have gone straight toward his mother's house but he didn't. He trotted along a little way and suddenly gave a side-wise leap which carried him several feet away from the straight path he had been following. Again he trotted ahead for a short distance and then he wheeled around and ran in a circle and after he had made the circle he jumped to one side once more and ran along on an old tree which had fallen upon the ground. He was not playing no Tommy Fox was just trying to obey his mother. Ever since he had been big enough to wander off by himself she had told him that he must never go anywhere without making jumps and circles. It takes longer she said but it is better to do that way because it makes it hard for a dog to follow you. If you ran straight ahead Farmer Green's dog could go smelling along in your footsteps and if he didn't actually catch you he could follow you right home and then we would have to move to say the least. Tommy was so afraid of dogs that he almost never forgot to do just as his mother told him. He was halfway home and passing through a clump of evergreens when he suddenly stopped. The wind was blowing in his face and brought to his nostrils a smell that made him tremble. It was not a frightened sort of tremble but a delicious joyful shiver that Tommy felt for he smelled something that reminded him at once of that feather with which he had been playing and Tommy stood as still as a statue and his sharp eyes looked all around. At first he could see nothing but in a minute or two he noticed something on the ground beneath one of the evergreen trees. He had looked at it carefully several times and each time he had decided that it was only an old tree root but now he saw that he had been mistaken. Yes it was old Mother Grouse herself. End of chapter one. Chapter two at the tail of Tommy Fox. This is a Libra Box recording. All Libra Box recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibraBox.org. The Tale of Tommy Fox by Arthur Scott Bailey. Chapter two Johnny Green goes hunting. When Tommy Fox discovered Old Mother Grouse crouched beneath the evergreen tree he grew hungrier than ever and he decided that he would catch Mrs Grouse and eat her on the spot. Tommy had never caught a grouse but his mother had brought home some of Old Mother Grouse's relations for him to eat and Tommy knew of nothing that tasted any better. He thought that Old Mother Grouse must be sleeping. She was so still and he did not mean to wake her if he could help it at least not until he had called her. So Tommy flattened himself out on his stomach and began to creep towards her very slowly and very carefully. He didn't make the slightest noise and soon he had stolen so close to Old Mother Grouse that he was just about to spring up and rush upon her. Then all at once there was the most terrible noise. It was almost as loud as thunder and it seemed to Tommy that the ground was rising right up in front of him. He was so startled that he fell over backward and his heart thumped and pounded against his ribs. The next moment Tommy Fox felt very sheepish for he realized that the noise was nothing but the beating of Old Mother Grouse's wings against the air and instead of the ground rising it was Old Mother Grouse herself who had jumped up and sailed away. She hadn't been asleep. She had seen him all the time and she had just waited until she saw that Tommy was trying to catch her before she flew off. Old Mother Grouse didn't fly far. She perched in a tree just a little way off and sat there and looked down at Tommy Fox and chuckled to herself. She knew that she was perfectly safe and though Tommy Fox trotted up to the tree where she sat and stared longingly up at her she wasn't the least bit worried because she knew quite well that Tommy couldn't climb a tree. Tommy felt very peevish. He was so hungry and he couldn't help thinking how good Old Mother Grouse would have tasted. He couldn't reach her now but still he didn't go along toward home. He simply couldn't keep his greedy eyes off that Old Mother Grouse and he squatted down beside a bush and stared at her. Old Mother Grouse didn't mind that. She just stared back at Tommy Fox and she didn't say a word to him which somehow made Tommy still more peevish. How long Tommy would have stayed there it would be hard to tell but in a little while something happened that sent him home on the run. If Mrs Grouse and Tommy had been looking out as sharply as they generally did Farmer Green's boy never could have crept up so close to them but they were so busy staring at each other that they never saw Farmer Green's boy at all. Now Johnny Green had his gun with him that he was hunting Grouse. He did not see Tommy Fox at all because Tommy was hidden behind the bush but Johnny Green saw Old Mother Grouse and almost as soon as he saw her he fired. The old shotgun made a tremendous roar. The woods rung and echoed with the noise and Tommy Fox saw a cloud of feathers float down from the limb where Old Mother Grouse had been sitting but Old Mother Grouse herself flew away. The shot had knocked out some of her tail feathers but hadn't hurt her at all. It all happened very quickly and Tommy Fox felt himself leaping high in the air. He was so frightened that he had jumped almost out of his skin and he ran and ran and ran faster than he had ever run before in all his rather short life. Johnny Green saw him run but his gun wasn't loaded now and he couldn't shoot and he didn't have his dog with him either. It was lucky for Tommy Fox that there was no dog there for Tommy was so scared that he forgot all about jumping sideways and running in circles as his mother had taught him. He just ran straight for his home in the middle of the big field and when he got there he scurried through the door and scampered inside and he never came out again all that day. End of chapter two. Chapter three of the tale of Tommy Fox. This is a LubriVox recording. All LubriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org the tale of Tommy Fox by Arthur Scott Bailey chapter three Tommy Fox learns to hunt. Tommy Fox was hunting crickets in the field near his mother's house being a young fox not much more than half grown Tommy knew very little of hunting in fact crickets were about the only thing he could hunt and catch of course anyone can hunt the hard part of it is to catch what you are hunting. Tommy was glad that he knew how to capture crickets for he was very fond of them to be sure it took a great many crickets to satisfy his hunger but they were good when he wanted a light lunch and there was fun too in hunting them this is the way Tommy Fox caught crickets he would stand very still in the tall grass and watch sharply wherever he saw the grass moving Tommy would pounce upon that spot bringing his two front paws down tight against the ground and in the bunch of grass that lay beneath his paws Tommy almost always found a fat cricket there was just one drawback about that kind of hunting he could catch crickets only upon still gaze when there was no wind because when the wind blew the grass waved everywhere and Tommy couldn't tell whether it was crickets or whether it was wind that made the grass move well upon this very day when Tommy Fox was amusing himself and swallowing crickets as fast as he could grab them his mother came out of her house and watched him for a little while Tommy was feeling quite proud of his skill I can hunt can't I mother he exclaimed watch me I get them almost every time he boasted Mrs Fox did not answer she was thinking deeply she knew that there were a great many things she must teach her son because he was growing up and someday he would be leaving home to go out into the world and take care of himself and Mrs Fox knew that Tommy would have to learn to catch bigger things than crickets in order to keep from starving pretty soon Mrs Fox started across the field she was gone rather a long time but she came back at last carrying something that squirmed and twisted and wriggled whatever it was that Mrs Fox was bringing home it was furry and quite big and heavy when Tommy saw it he stopped hunting crickets at once he knew what his mother had it was a woodchuck hooray he shouted I'm hungry may I eat all of him I want you might think that he had swallowed so many crickets that he wouldn't want anything more to eat just thing but to tell the truth it was very seldom that Tommy Fox wasn't hungry as a bear not so fast Mrs Fox said I'm going to teach you to hunt and you're to begin with this woodchuck now I'm going to let him go and you must catch him so Mrs Fox let the woodchuck slip away and off he scattered with Tommy after him Mrs Fox followed close behind and soon she saw Tommy give a great spring and land right on top of the woodchuck Tommy was greatly excited that he was hungry too may I eat him now he asked no let him go again his mother commanded and see if you can catch him more quickly next time Tommy obeyed and though he overtook the woodchuck sooner he was not so careful to avoid the chuck's sharp teeth and he got a savage nip right on his nose Tommy was surprised he was so surprised that he dropped the woodchuck and you may believe that Mr Woodchuck lost no time he scurried away as fast as his legs would carry him Tommy began to whimper his nose heard and he thought he had lost his dinner too but Mrs Fox bounded after Mr Woodchuck and brought him back again she made Tommy stop crying and he had to begin his lesson all over again when Mrs Fox thought that Tommy had learned enough for that day they both sat down and made a meal at that unfortunate Mr Woodchuck and Tommy felt that he had already become a mighty hunter he hadn't the least doubt that he could go into the woods and catch almost anything he saw we shall see later whether Tommy Fox knew as much as he thought he did end of chapter three chapter four at the tale of Tommy Fox this is a Lubri Vox recording all Lubri Vox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit Lubri Vox.org the tale of Tommy Fox by Arthur Scott Bailey chapter four Mother Grouse's Children the very next day after his first lesson in hunting when his mother had brought him home the live woodchuck Tommy Fox went off into the woods alone he had made up his mind that he would surprise his mother by bringing home some nice tidbit for dinner a rabbit perhaps or maybe a squirrel he wasn't quite sure what it would be because you know when hunting you have to take what you find if you can catch it Tommy Fox hadn't been long in the woods before he had even better luck than he had expected he was creeping through a thicket making no noise at all when what should he see but that sly old Mother Grouse with all her eleven children they were very young were old Mother Grouse's children and they hadn't yet learned to fly and there they were all on the ground with the proud old lady in their midst Tommy Fox was so pleased that he almost laughed out loud he tried to keep still but he couldn't help snickering a little and old Mother Grouse heard him she started to fly but instead of tearing off out of danger she lighted on the ground quite near Tommy how stupid of her he thought I'll just catch the old lady first and then get the youngsters afterward they can't fly so Tommy made a leap for old Mother Grouse he dismissed her she rose in the nick of time and slipped away from him but she didn't fly far so Tommy followed and he stole up very slowly and once more when he was quite near the old lady he sprung at her it was really very annoying for again old Mother Grouse just escaped again she flew a little further away lighted on the ground and seemed to forget that Tommy Fox was so near that same thing happened as many as a dozen times and the twelfth time that Mrs Grouse rose before one of Tommy's rushes she didn't come down again she lighted in a tree and since it appeared to Tommy that she had no intention of leaving her safe perch he gave up in disgust he was very angry because he hadn't caught old Mother Grouse but there was her family he would get them the whole eleven of them and he turned back toward the place where he had first come upon them now Sly old Mother Grouse had played a trick on Tommy Fox if he had just left her alone he could have caught every one of her children but she had tempted him to follow her and every time she rose from the ground and flew a short distance she led Tommy further away from her little ones Tommy had some trouble in finding the exact spot where he had stumbled upon Mrs Grouse and her children but he found it again at last and little good it did him for not a trace of those eleven young Grouse could he discover they had all disappeared every single one of them they knew what to do when their mother led Tommy Fox away each of them found a safe hiding place some of them burrowed beneath the fallen leaves some of them hid behind old stumps some of them crept into a hollow log and try as he would Tommy Fox was unable to find so much as one downy feather he was so disappointed and so ashamed that he went home and stayed there but he had learned something yes Tommy Fox knew that if he ever met old Mother Grouse and her family again he would catch her children first afterward he would try to capture the Sly old lady herself but he didn't believe just then that he would ever be able to catch her you see Tommy realized that he wasn't quite so clever as he had thought end of chapter four chapter five at the tail of Tommy Fox this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org the tale of Tommy Fox by Arthur Scott Bailey chapter five Tommy Fox is hungry Tommy Fox kept a sharp lookout to see what he could capture to eat but he couldn't discover nothing at all to be sure there were birds in the trees and birds nests too and Tommy was very fond of birds eggs but he couldn't climb trees the birds were out of his reach and so were the squirrels he saw plenty of red squirrels and grey squirrels and little striped chipmunks they looked down from the branches and chatted and scolded at him they were perfectly safe and they knew it Tommy Fox sat down to think as I have said he was hungry and there is nothing that sharpens a fox's wits like hunger he looked very innocent as he rested under a big chestnut tree and gazed up at a grey squirrel which was perched on a limb over his head run along Tommy Fox the squirrel said to him there's no use of your staying here I shan't come down until you're gone Tommy didn't say anything he just whined a few times and held his paw against his stomach and he gave one or two groans the grey squirrel came a little further down the tree and looked at Tommy again he wondered if Tommy was ill and then when Tommy stretched himself out on the ground and lay quite still the grey squirrel was sure that Tommy Fox had eaten something that hurt him what is it the squirrel inquired Tommy looked up and murmured something the squirrel couldn't hear what he said but he thought he caught the word poison and he decided that Tommy had probably devoured a poisoned chicken head which Farmer Green had thrown out for him I am afraid that the squirrel didn't feel very sorry he didn't like Tommy Fox for Tommy was always trying to catch him but if he wasn't sorry he was curious and he sat up on a low bridge and looked at Tommy for a long time Tommy Fox never moved again his eyes were shut his beautiful red tail with its white tip lay limp on the ground and his legs stuck out as stiff as pokers Mr Grey Squirrel felt sure that Tommy was very ill he called and called to Tommy but he got no reply and at last he decided that Tommy must be dead so he slipped down the tree to the ground to get a better look at first Mr Grey Squirrel stayed close to the tree so that he could scamper up again in case he was mistaken but Tommy Fox never moved an eyelash and at last Mr Grey Squirrel grew quite bold he edged closer to Tommy he had never been so near a fox before and he was curious to see what he looked like he stole up beside Tommy and was just about to call to his friends in the next tree top to come down when he received the surprise of his life as Mr Grey Squirrel watched he thought he saw one of Tommy Fox's eyelids quiver and a great fear seized him had he been mistaken was Tommy Fox playing dead end of chapter five chapter six at the tail of Tommy Fox this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org the tail of Tommy Fox by Arthur Scott Bailey chapter six Mr Grey Squirrel's mistake Mr Grey Squirrel certainly was mistaken when he thought that Tommy Fox was dead and came down out of the chestnut tree to look at him Tommy wasn't even ill you remember that he was very hungry and that he had not been able to find anything to eat Tommy could not climb the tree where Mr Grey Squirrel sat so the only thing left for him to do was to make Mr Squirrel come down where he was that was what Tommy Fox was thinking about when he sat there on his haunches and looked up so innocently at Mr Grey Squirrel as Tommy sat there a bright idea came to him so he held his paw to his stomach and pretended to be ill and as soon as he saw that Mr Grey Squirrel thought he was ill Tommy fell over on his side and made believe he was dead though his eyes were shut tight Tommy's ears were so sharp that he could tell when Mr Grey Squirrel came down the tree and he could hear him slowly picking his way nearer and nearer Tommy's nose was sharp too and he could smell Mr Grey Squirrel he smelled so good that Tommy couldn't help opening one eye the least bit just to see him that was when Mr Grey Squirrel noticed that his eyelid quivered and Tommy saw it once that Mr Grey Squirrel had caught that flicker of his eyelid and that he was frightened Tommy knew then that he must act quickly he jumped up like a flash but quick as he was Mr Grey Squirrel was even quicker he reached the tree just ahead of Tommy Fox and though Tommy looped high up the trunk he was too late Mr Grey Squirrel scrambled up the tree so fast that his big bushy tail just whisked across Tommy's face and in another second he was safe in the tree top chattering and scolding and calling Tommy names Tommy Fox felt very foolish he realized that if he had jumped up without first opening his eye he would not have given Mr Grey Squirrel any warning and then he would have caught the plump old fellow but it was too late now another time he would know better and he sneaked up to try the same trick on one of Mr Grey Squirrel's friends it was no use Mr Squirrel followed him jumping from one tree top to another and made a great noise calling after him and cheering at him and telling all his friends about the mean trick Tommy had tried to play on him and to Tommy's great disgust an old crow high up in a tall tree heard the story and whore whore loudly he was so amused he made such a record that all the forest people heard him and Tommy knew that there was no sense in trying to catch a squirrel around there that day he went down into the meadow and begun hunting crickets and though he didn't have as good a lunch as he wanted probably he ate all that was good for him end of chapter six chapter seven at the tail of Tommy Fox this is a Libra Vox recording all Libra Vox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit Libra Vox.org the tale of Tommy Fox by Arthur Scott Bailey chapter seven Tommy Chasers Mr Woodchuck Tommy Fox went up into Farmer Green's back pasture which lay even nearer Blue Mountain than the field where Tommy and his mother lived he sulked along among the rocky hammocks and the old stumps which dotted the pasture thickly his ears and his eyes and his nose were all alert to discover any small animal that might be stirring especially his nose for Tommy could smell things when they were a long way off Tommy's mother had explained to him that he must always hunt with the wind blowing in his face because then the breeze brought to him the scent of any animal that might be in front of him whether it happened to be an animal that Tommy was hunting or some animal that was hunting him in that way Tommy would be able to know what was ahead of him even if he couldn't see it but if he were careless and trotted along with the wind blowing behind him ah that was quite different the other forest people would all know he was coming for then they would be able to get Tommy's scent and someday if he were so foolish as to go about with the wind at his back someday he might stumble right onto a wild cat or a dog or a man or some other terrible creature well Tommy remembered all these things that his mother had told him the wind blew fresh in his face and to his delight all at once he smelled a woodchuck there was no mistaking that savoury smell it affected Tommy very pleasantly much as you are affected by catching a whiff of hot peanuts or popcorn or pandy cooking on the stove Tommy stole along very carefully and as he peered around the stump he saw not ten jumps ahead of him a fine fat woodchuck Tommy crept up a little closer and then he sprung for mr woodchuck with a rush pudgy mr woodchuck saw Tommy just in time he turned tail and ran through his life and he was so spry though he was quite a fat elderly gentleman that he reached his hole and whisked down out of sight just as Tommy was about to seize him Tommy was so disappointed that he was determined to get that woodchuck and he began to dig away at mr woodchuck's hole you see mr woodchuck was smaller than Tommy Fox and since the underground tunnel that led to his home was only big enough to admit him Tommy was obliged to make it larger though mr woodchuck's hole was under a shady oak tree Tommy found digging to be somewhat warm work so he took off his neat red coat and hung it carefully upon a bush he worked very hard so he was eager to find mr woodchuck in fact the further Tommy dug into the ground the more excited he grew and he had just decided that he had almost reached the end of the tunnel and that a little more digging would bring him inside of mr woodchuck's house when he met with an unexpected check to Tommy's Mr Smay mr woodchuck's tunnel led between two roots of the big oak and Tommy could not squeeze between them he reached his paws through the narrow opening and crowded his nose in as far as it would go but that was all he could do he did not doubt that somewhere in beyond in the darkness mr woodchuck was having a good laugh because Tommy had done all that work for nothing I am sorry to say that Tommy Fox lost his temper he called after mr woodchuck yes he shouted some rather bad names after him but of course that didn't do a bit of good and Tommy Fox put on his coat and went home to think about what he could do he didn't care to ask his mother's advice because he didn't want her to know that mr woodchuck had got away from him but he hoped to find some way in which he could catch the old gentleman end of chapter seven chapter eight at the tale of Tommy Fox this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org the tale of Tommy Fox by Arthur Scott Bailey chapter eight something makes Tommy very proud Tommy Fox could think of nothing but mr woodchuck he thought there could be no use in going back to the hole beneath the big oak in the pasture until the next day because mr woodchuck would probably be afraid that Tommy was waiting for him to come out yes Tommy decided that mr woodchuck would stay in his house down among the roots of the big tree and not show himself again until he felt quite sure that his enemy had grown tired of watching and had given up the idea of catching him but Tommy guessed that by another day old mr woodchuck would be so hungry that he would have to go out of doors again to get something to eat and Tommy Fox could hardly wait for the night to pass but another day came at last and it found Tommy up and hurrying to farmer greens back pasture where mr woodchuck lived it was just growing light and there was a heavy dew upon the grass which Tommy didn't like at all because he just hated to get his feet wet Tommy did not go near mr woodchuck's hole although he was just a young fox he was too wise to do that he knew that if he went nosing around mr woodchuck's dooryard the old gentleman would smell his tracks as soon as he poked his head out so Tommy was careful to keep away from the hole where he had dug so hard the day before he sneaked around until he had passed mr woodchuck's house and then he crept up behind the big oak close by and there he waited Tommy kept smiling he was so pleased because his plan was working out very well the wind blew towards him and Tommy saw that mr woodchuck wouldn't be able to smell him when the old fellow came out into the open air for a long time Tommy waited there he kept very still and he stayed hidden behind the tree with only one eye peeping round the tree trunk so that he could watch for mr woodchuck he was very patient was Tommy you have to be patient you know when you are hunting he crouched behind the tree for at least an hour and never once took his eye off that hole and at last he saw mr woodchuck's nose come popping out if Tommy hadn't been watching very closely he wouldn't have seen it at all the mr woodchuck just stuck his head up for a second took one quick look all around and jumped back again he hadn't seen anything to frighten him but he thought it best to be very careful Tommy waited and pretty soon that small nose came sticking out again this time had stayed longer and to Tommy's great delight in another minute he saw mr woodchuck climb up and take a good look all about Tommy Fox hardly breathed he didn't see how the old gentleman could help spying him but he didn't and then mr woodchuck started off across the pasture to find something for breakfast he was very hungry for he hadn't had any suffer the night before Tommy Fox waited until mr woodchuck had gone just a few steps away from his doorway and then Tommy stole after him this time Tommy was between mr woodchuck and his house and mr woodchuck couldn't escape it was all over in a second and Tommy Fox felt very proud of himself when he reached home and showed his mother what he had brought i can hunt can't i mother he said tomorrow i'm going up on the mountain and catch a bear don't be silly mr fox said you know you couldn't catch a bear but she was much pleased in spite of what she said for she saw that Tommy was really beginning to learn something end of chapter eight chapter nine at the tail of Tommy Fox this is a Libra Fox recording all Libra Fox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit Libra Fox dot org the tale of Tommy Fox by Arthur Scott Bailey chapter nine Tommy Fox in trouble a few days after Tommy Fox caught old mr woodchuck something happened that set him thinking perhaps i should say a few nights instead of days for one night his mother came home with a fat hen slung across her shoulders she had been down to pharma greens hen house right in the middle of the night when pharma green and his family were asleep and she had snatched one of the sleeping hens off the roost and stolen away with it without waking anybody only a very wise old fox could do that you mustn't go near pharma greens hen house mrs fox said to Tommy as they picked the bones of the fat hen together you are not old enough to get one of pharma greens hens you notice that mrs fox didn't speak of stealing a hen she called it getting one for foxes believe that it is only fair to take a farmer's hen now and then in return for killing field mice and woodchucks which eat the farmers grain but the farmer never stops to think of that he only thinks of the hens that he loses Tommy Fox never said a word while his mother was talking to him he was very busy eating but that was not the only reason why he kept still he heard his mother's warning that he thought she was silly he really believed that he was quite old enough and quite big enough and quite wise enough to go down to pharma greens and get a hen himself after catching old mr woodchuck Tommy felt that he was able to do about everything his mother could do and he made up his mind right then and there that he would show her he would pay a visit to the hen house that very night Tommy Fox could not wait for night to come in fact he could wait only until the close of day he was in such a hurry to capture a hen the sun had scarcely sunk out of sight in the west and the sky was still red when he crept slowly up to pharma greens hen house Tommy had heard that pharma green went to bed very early after working hard in the fields each day and since he saw nobody stirring about the place he thought that everyone was asleep the hens were asleep there was no doubt of that peeping inside their little house Tommy could see them roosting in rows and he lost no time in squeezing through one of the small doors he felt a bit timid once he was inside and for a moment he almost wished that he hadn't come but he was determined to take a hen home with him so he reached up and grabbed the very first hen he came to on the lowest perch of all it was a big old white hen that Tommy Fox seized she awoke the moment he touched her and began to squail and to Tommy's alarm all the rest of the hens heard her and began to cackle loudly the noise was deafening and Tommy made a dash for the little door with old mrs white hen in his mouth she was flapping her wings and kicking as hard as she could and Tommy was dismayed to find that he could not get her through the narrow door every time he tried to push through one of mrs white hens legs or a wing or a head struck against the edge of the doorway then a dog barked and Tommy heard something running around the chicken house he just knew that it was a man and he dropped the old hen in a hurry and slipped through the door he was just in time he heard a man shout after him spot and giving one frightened glance over his shoulder Tommy saw that farmer green's dog was close behind him end of chapter nine chapter ten at the tail of Tommy Fox this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org the tale of Tommy Fox by Arthur Scott Bailey chapter 10 mrs Fox outwits dog spot poor Tommy Fox how he wished that he had obeyed his mother and kept away from Farmer Green's hen house now Farmer Green's dog spot was chasing him Tommy could hear him baying joyfully as he followed but you may be sure that Tommy was not joyful he was terribly frightened he could think of nothing to do except to run run run as fast as he could go he was headed straight for home and he only hoped that he could get there before the dog spot caught him now Tommy was doing just about the worst thing he could do he never once jumped sideways or ran around in a circle and though he might have waited a little way in the shallow brook in the meadow where spot would have lost his trail Tommy used the bridge to get across the stream so the dog spot had no trouble at all in following him and spot kept drawing nearer and nearer it happened that mrs Fox heard the baying of the dog and she knew what spot was saying he was crying i've almost got him i've almost got him a shiver passed over mrs Fox for she thought at once of Tommy he was not at home and she wondered if by any chance he was in trouble she hurried through the field to see who it was that spot was chasing and sure enough pretty soon mrs Fox saw Tommy come tearing through the field panting hard with his tongue hanging out and the most frightened look upon his face mrs Fox hastened to meet him the dog spot was then on the other side of a low hill and running along with his nose to the ground jump mrs Fox said to Tommy as soon as he joined her Tommy remembered then what his mother had always told him so he gave a long leap to one side now make a big circle and jump again then go home that was all mrs Fox had time to say she stopped just long enough to see Tommy dash off and then she started right in the opposite direction the dog spot saw her and gave a yelp of the light he did not know what had been happening he only thought that now he was going to catch the fox which was the stupidest fox he had ever chased running as it did straight away with never a leap or a circle or any other sort of trick to fool him little did spot guess that old mrs Fox had not the slightest idea of being caught she had been followed by spot himself many times and she knew exactly how to escape him she just lingered for a few moments to make sure that Tommy was safe and that spot was chasing her and then how she did run in no time at all she left spot far behind now mrs Fox knew that there was a plowed field nearby and that was just what she wanted she scampered towards it at great speed and went straight across it and when she had reached the other side of the plowed ground she sat down for a short breathing spell you see mrs Fox was very wise indeed she knew that in dry weather such as there was then a plowed field takes no scent at all she knew that when spot reached that loose dirt spot could not smell her footsteps and so she just sat there on her haunches and caught her breath again a grim smile crossed mrs Fox's face as she heard spot barking away in the distance it was a very different bark from what she had heard when he was chasing Tommy this time spot was saying oh dear oh dear i've lost him over and over again when mrs Fox reached home she found Tommy safe inside their house he was crying because he was afraid he would never see his mother again and after his mother found out how spot had happened to chase him Tommy cried some more but for an entirely different reason who can guess what the reason was end of chapter 10 chapter 11 at the tail of Tommy Fox this is a LibraVox recording all LibraVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibraVox.org the tale of Tommy Fox by Arthur Scott Bailey chapter 11 Tommy grows too careless by the time someone was nearly over Tommy Fox was much bigger than he had been in the spring so many things had happened and he had learned so much that he began to be quite bold and he had grown so saucy that his mother often had to scold him Tommy had fallen into the bad habit of going about calling all the forest people names and in that way he had gained for himself the ill will of all the creatures who live near the foot of Blue Mountain it interfered with his hunting because whenever he started out to get something to eat as soon as they saw him the forest people told one another that he was coming old Mr Crow especially was the worst of all he was forever calling stop thief after Tommy Fox and then he would whore whore in a manner that was frightfully annoying in fact he made matters so unpleasant that after a time Tommy began to roam far down the valley along Swift River where he tried to catch fish the fish at least couldn't call him names and there was some satisfaction in that fact even if he hadn't much luck as a fisherman and just for excitement Tommy began to worry Farmer Green's spot he delighted in barking at spot and spot would always stop what he was doing and rush pel mel after Tommy Fox then Tommy would skip away with a laugh first he always ran for the river and jumped from one stone to another and waited where the water was shallow then he would dash off through the meadows leaving so crooked a trail behind him that when spot at last found the place where Tommy had left the river he never could follow him very far but one day Tommy stumbled upon spot quite by accident there was no wind at all that day to bring any scent to Tommy's sharp nose and he suddenly found that spot was right in front of him between him and the river Tommy Fox turned and ran he laughed too because he felt quite sure that he could outwit old spot and he leaped and twisted and turned about and made so many circles that he felt sure spot couldn't follow him yes Tommy felt so safe that he stopped running and was trotting slowly along through the field in which he lived he was almost home when he heard a noise behind him he looked around and to his great surprise there was spot almost upon him there was no time to lose there was only one thing Tommy could do the door of his mother's house was only a short distance up and Tommy made for it luckily he managed to reach it once inside he could hear the dog spot barking in the opening but he knew that spot was too big to follow him although Tommy was very glad to be safe at home he was worried for now spot know where he and his mother lived and they would have to move Tommy was afraid his mother would be very angry with him for being so stupid as to let spot follow him but he couldn't help it now meanwhile old spot continued to bark and scratch at the door of Tommy's home but at last he stopped and all was still Tommy wondered where his mother was she was not at home and he wanted to see her even if he was afraid that she would punish him but Tommy did not know exactly what to do he did not dare go out for fear spot might be lying in wait for him so Tommy stayed there and still his mother did not come home he wondered where she would be end of chapter 11 chapter 12 of the tale of Tommy Fox this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org the tale of Tommy Fox by Arthur Scott Bailey chapter 12 old Mr Crowe is pleased there was a very good reason why Mrs Fox did not come home that day when the dog spot chased Tommy Fox into his house she had heard old spot barking in the field and she had hurried toward home as fast as she could to see what was the matter to her great dismay when she looped up on the stone wall not far from her house Mrs Fox could see spot scratching at her door and she guessed at once that he had driven Tommy inside the poor old lady hardly knew what to do but she hid in the grass hoping that spot would grow tired of his task and go home but old dog spot kept up a great barking he held so loudly that they heard him way off at the farmhouse and Mrs Fox nearly wept when she saw Farmer Green and his boy Johnny come hurrying across the fields pretty soon Johnny Green returned to the farmhouse and when he came back Mrs Fox could see that he carried a steel trap for a short time Johnny and his father visited themselves at her doorway and then they went away calling old dog spot after them after they had gone Mrs Fox stole sadly across the field to the home she had liked so well she knew that she could live there no longer in peace and quiet yes she would have to move and now the first thing to be done was to get Tommy safely out of the house Mrs Fox reached her door yard and there she paused there was no trap to be seen anywhere but the path leading to her door was sprinkled thick with fresh earth and wise old Mrs Fox knew that hidden underneath it somewhere laid that cruel trap with its jaws wide open waiting to catch her if she stepped between them she crept as close to her door as she did and called softly to Tommy I don't need to say that her son was delighted to hear his mother's voice he poked his nose out at the hole at once and he would have jumped out and fallen right into the trap if his mother had not warned him don't come out she cried sharply there's a trap here beneath this dirt now do just as I tell you or you'll be caught Tommy Fox was frightened for once at least he believed that his mother knew more than he did and he didn't dare move except when she ordered he didn't dare put a foot down except where she told him to Tommy had taken several careful steps and his mother had begun to think that he was almost safely past the trap when a very unfortunate thing happened Tommy was just about to set one of his front feet down upon a spot that his mother had pointed out to him when somebody suddenly called stop thief Tommy Fox was so startled that he gave a quick jump snap went the trap and though Tommy sprung up into the air he was just too late the trap closed tightly across the tips of his toes it was only one foot that was caught but that was enough he could not get away no matter how hard he pulled it was old Mr Crow who had called stop thief he was laughing now his ho ho ho ho could be heard plainly enough as he flapped away in great glee to tell all the forest people that Tommy Fox would trouble them no more end of chapter 12 chapter 13 at the tail of Tommy Fox this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org the tale of Tommy Fox by Arthur Scott Bailey chapter 13 Johnny Green and his new pet Tommy Fox was in a terrible fix he was caught fast by the foot in a trap and if that isn't being in a fix I should like to know what is all night long he whimpered and cried all night long he tugged and pulled trying to get free but the more he tugged the more the trap heard his foot and the harder he cried Mrs Fox couldn't help Tommy at all she stayed with him throughout the night and tried to comfort him and she only left when morning came and she smelled men coming across the fields then with one last sorrowful look at Tommy she crept sadly away in a few minutes more Farmer Green and his boy Johnny reached Mrs Fox's door and they were both greatly pleased when they saw that the trap had done its work so well it's the young cub Farmer Green said as soon as he spied Tommy Fox may I having father Johnny asked quickly I'd like him for a pet Tommy Fox was terribly frightened when he heard that you see he didn't know what a pet was he thought that probably it was something like a stew that he had been told that people ate things like that and he could see himself in his mind's eye being cut up and tossed into a pot a pet A said Farmer Green well I suppose so he's hardly worth skinning you may having I guess but look out that he doesn't bite you Johnny Green was delighted he helped his father put Tommy into an old sack and taking the trap too they started toward the farmhouse when they reached Farmer Green's home Johnny and his father pitted a stout collar about Tommy's neck and they fastened one end of a chain to it and the other end they tied to a long stake which they drove into the ground in Farmer Green's door yard then Johnny Green set a big wooden box close beside the stake he tipped the box over on its side and threw some straw into it and that was Tommy Fox's new home you might think that it was a much nicer home than he had before but Tommy did not like it at all all the people on the farm came and looked at him inside the box and Johnny Green never left him for more than 10 minutes all the rest of that day Tommy made up his mind that he would make a house of his own and that very night he dug a hole in Farmer Green's door yard where he could crawl out of sight of everyone Tommy liked that much better no matter how hard Johnny Green pulled on the chain he couldn't drag Tommy out unless he wanted to come but after a few days Tommy began to get used to being a pet he found that it was not such a terrible thing after all he did miss the fine runs he used to have and the hunts and he missed his mother too he could hear her often at night calling to him from the fields and then Tommy would answer and tug at his chain but he couldn't get away and after a while he would go to sleep and dream pleasant dreams about catching crickets in the long grass. End of chapter 13 chapter 14 of the tale of Tommy Fox this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org the tale of Tommy Fox by Arthur Scott Bailey chapter 14 Tommy Fox makes a strange friend there was one thing especially that surprised Tommy Fox and I think it surprised the dog spot even more Tommy and spot became friends at first whenever spot came near Tommy would run into his hole as far as his chain would allow him but after a time he began to peep out at his visitor and finally he grew so bold that when spot came to see him he stayed above ground though to be sure he sat close to the door of his house so that he could whisk out of sight if spot should come to near him since spot often came to look at Johnny Green's new pet he began to like Tommy and instead of growling he would wag his tail and try to be friendly and the first thing they knew they were playing together and rolling and tumbling about pretending to bite each other now spot was much bigger than Tommy Fox and stronger and sometimes when they played together he would get so rough that Tommy would run down into his underground house and hide but he never lost his temper because he knew that spot did not mean to hurt him and Tommy was always ready to come out again and play some more Johnny Green was very proud of his new pet and one day when he was going to drive to the village he took Tommy Fox with him he tied Tommy's chain to the wagon and Tommy sat up on the seat beside his young master he had a fine ride it frightened him at first to see so many people for it was market day when the farmers for miles around came to the village to sell their butter and eggs and vegetables there was a great number of dogs too running about the village streets Tommy was glad that he was high up on the seat at the wagon beside Johnny Green the he knew that he was perfectly safe there he saw so many strange sights that after that first day whenever he saw Johnny starting off for the village he was never satisfied unless he went to on the whole Tommy Fox did not have a bad time being Johnny Green's pet and although Farmer Green often complained that Johnny would rather play with his young fox than drive the cows or feed the chickens or fetch water for the pump still Farmer Green himself rather enjoyed watching Tommy Fox but at last something happened that made Farmer Green very angry one morning he discovered that a fine hen had disappeared during the night and the following night another hen vanished Farmer Green was puzzled old spot had been loose all the time and he had never barked once that was what made Farmer Green suspicious Farmer Green went out into his door yard where Tommy Fox was basking in the sunshine Tommy looked up at Farmer Green very innocently you would have thought he had never done anything wrong in all his life Farmer Green began to examine the ground about Tommy's house he didn't find anything unusual but when he knelt down and peered into the hole Tommy Fox had dug for himself what should he see but several hen feathers that was enough for Farmer Green he knew then where his fat hens had gone but he was puzzled there was Tommy chained fast to the stake how could he ever have visited the hen house Farmer Green picked up Tommy's chain and to his surprise he found that the end of it wasn't fastened to the stake at all it had worked loose somehow and Tommy had been free to wonder about as much as he pleased end of chapter 14 chapter 15 at the tail of Tommy Fox this is a LibraVox recording all LibraVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibraVox.org the tale of Tommy Fox by Arthur Scott Bailey chapter 15 Johnny Green feels sad yes there was trouble when Farmer Green discovered that Tommy Fox had been stealing his hens he fastened the end of Tommy's chain to the stake once more and then he went out to the barn where his boy Johnny was watering the horses we'll have to kill that fox he said to Johnny he's got loose somehow and he's stolen two hens I can't have him on the place any longer he's made friends with old spot and the dog will let him do anything he likes poor Johnny Green he felt so sad and he begged his father not to kill Tommy but Farmer Green was very angry with Tommy no he said that cubs so tricky there's no knowing when he'll get loose again but Johnny begged so hard that his father promised that he might keep Tommy one more day Johnny Green was in despair he could not bear to have his pet killed and when he went to bed that night he never fell asleep at all he was very tired but he managed to keep awake and in the middle of the night Johnny got out of bed and put on his clothes he didn't dare to light his candle but the moonbeams streamed in through his little gavel window and Johnny could see very well without any other light as soon as he was dressed Johnny stole down the stairs carrying his shoes in his hand so he wouldn't make any noise in spite of all his caution the old stairs would creak now and then but luckily nobody heard him and soon Johnny was out of the house he found Tommy Fox wide awake sitting on his haunches in the moonlight listening far away in the distance a fox was barking and Tommy thought it sounded like his mother's voice Tommy was surprised to see Johnny Green at that hour and he was astonished when Johnny untied the chain from the stake and started away with him they went off across the fields toward Blue Mountain right in the direction of that barking the meadow smelled sweet and Tommy Fox began to wish that he could slip his head out of his collar and scamper away and that was exactly what happened after they had gone some distance Johnny Green stopped he unbuckled Tommy's collar and gave Tommy a push at first Tommy was not quite sure that he wanted to leave his good master but there was that fox yelping and calling something seemed to draw Tommy toward that sound he just couldn't help himself and the first thing he knew he was bounding off over the meadow running as fast as his legs would carry him and barking as loudly as he could bark Johnny Green went slowly home again he crept into the house and stole upstairs and cried himself to sleep but he was glad of one thing Tommy Fox would not be killed the next morning end of chapter 15 chapter 16 of the tale of Tommy Fox this is a Lubravox recording all Lubravox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit Lubravox.org the tale of Tommy Fox by Arthur Scott Bailey chapter 16 Tommy becomes boastful when Johnny Green turned Tommy Fox loose out in the meadow in the moonlight Tommy hurried across the fields as fast as he could go you remember that he heard a fox barking near the foot of Blue Mountain and he thought it sounded like his mother so Tommy barked too and as he ran he could hear that other fox coming towards him pretty soon they met and such a joyful meeting you never saw in all your life for it was old Mrs Fox and she was so delighted to see Tommy that she looked him all over with her tongue and looked at him carefully to see if he was heard anywhere Mrs Fox had never expected to see Tommy again but there he was bigger than ever and altogether too fat for Johnny had fed him well and then there were those two hands that Tommy had stolen Tommy Fox was very glad indeed to see his mother once more he frisked about her and yelped and jumped up and down and when she saw that Tommy had come back safe and sound Mrs Fox danced a little bit too and then she took Tommy home you remember that when Farmer Green caught Tommy in a trap right at the door of his mother's house Mrs Fox had been obliged to move her new home was not far away from the old one it was snug and cozy and on the whole was a pretty nice sort of house though the dooryard was not quite so sunny as she would have preferred for the branches of the big tree shaded it Tommy had to answer a great many questions his mother wanted to know everything that had happened to him she was astonished when she found that he had been in the village right in the daytime he was the only fox she knew of who had ever been there and when she heard of Tommy's friendship with the dog spot Mrs Fox was more surprised than ever she couldn't understand it and she shook her head over and over again as Tommy told her what good times he and spot had had together Mrs Fox actually began to think that Tommy was telling stories the other forest people too thought that Tommy was fitting when he bragged about his strange adventures and old Mr Crowe began to cry stop liar after him instead of stop thief as he used to do but Tommy Fox didn't mind that very much he knew that he was telling the truth and he more than half guessed that old Mr Crowe was jealous of him because he had so many wonderful things to tell though the forest people always listened to Tommy's stories they disliked him more than ever that he was always going about boasting of what he had seen and what he had done and what his friend the dog spot said if you're such good friends with old dog spot why don't you go down to the farm yard and see him Mr Crowe said to Tommy one day this was long after Tommy had come back to live with his mother in fact it was quite late in the fall and the weather was growing cold all right i will Tommy said he was not going to let old Mr Crowe get the better of him i'll go now Tommy said and with that he started down the valley toward farmer greens buildings end of chapter 16 chapter 17 of the tale of Tommy Fox this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org the tale of Tommy Fox by Arthur Scott Bailey chapter 17 paying a call on a friend Mr Crowe had dared Tommy Fox to go down to pay a call on his friend dog spot at farmer greens place and Tommy was trotting along across the fields he was quite near farmer greens house when he heard a dog bark not far away there's spot now Tommy said to himself and he turned at once in the direction of the barking he was smiling the he knew spot would be greatly pleased to see him and very much surprised too Tommy stole slightly up toward the place where the dog was barking the sound came from beyond some bushes and Tommy thought he would jump out from behind the bushes and startle spot so he crept up to the bushes and then suddenly gave a yelp and looped clean over them it was Tommy Fox himself who got the surprise for there was a strange dog and as soon as he saw Tommy he sprung after him Tommy did not wait a second he left that place a great deal faster than he came and as he went skimming over the fields a red streak against the brown stubble he could hear Mr Crowe barking heartily the old fellow had sailed along high over Tommy's head to see what happened and he was greatly pleased with himself you see he knew that farmer greens hired man had brought home a new dog just a few days before and Mr Crowe hoped that if Tommy went to the farm yard he would meet the strange dog Tommy was very angry he saw at once that old Mr Crowe had tricked him and he made up his mind that if he ever had a chance he would get even with the old gentleman but now he had no time to think about that there was that strange dog following hot on his trail Tommy had quite enough to worry him without bothering his head over Mr Crowe just thing now even if Tommy Fox was conceited he was really a very bright youngster and as he bounded along he thought of a pretty clever scheme yes he thought of a fine trick to play on that dog the idea came to him all at once and as soon as the thought popped into his head Tommy turned toward Swift River he was at the bank in no time and he skipped nimbly down to the river's edge Tommy Fox could see no water at all running in Swift River and you might think he was disappointed but he wasn't he found exactly what he had hoped for he could see no water running down there in the bed of the river because the river was covered with ice it was just a thin shell of ice but it was strong enough to bear Tommy's weight he ran across it quickly and then what do you suppose he did he sat right down on the opposite bank Tommy Fox wanted to see the fun he had to wait only a minute for pretty soon the strange dog came rushing down the opposite bank of the river and leaped far out from the edge of the stream there was a crash and a splitting crackling noise and the strange dog was floundering in the cold water the ice was not thick enough to hold him up and he had hard work to scramble back to the bank again but he climbed out of the water at last and tucked his tail between his legs and made off old Mr Crow saw what happened he stopped laughing and he sailed away silently thinking that Tommy Fox was a pretty smart young cub after all end of chapter 17 chapter 18 at the tail of Tommy Fox this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org the tale of Tommy Fox by Arthur Scott Bailey chapter 18 the world turns white after he outwitted the strange dog Tommy Fox became more of a bracket than ever he thought that he knew just about all there was to know but with the coming of winter Tommy found that he had many things to learn it was almost like living in a different world for the ground was white everywhere and though Tommy Fox loved to play in the snow he discovered one thing about it that he did not like at all it frightened him when he saw how plainly his footprints showed after a fresh snowfall and he wondered how he would ever be able to escape being caught should any strange dog chase him as the winter days passed Tommy learned that it was very hard for him to run fast in a light dry snow that through such snow a dog could run faster than he could but when there was a thin crust he could go skipping along like the wind while dogs being heavier broke through the crust and floundered about in the softer snow beneath one day Tommy and his mother were out hunting the snow was very deep everywhere for it was mid winter and it had thawed and frozen so often that the snow was quite hard except for just about an inch of fresh snow which had fallen during the night Tommy and his mother could see rabbit tracks all around them and they had very good luck hunting but something happened that wasn't exactly lucky they had turned toward home when a dog bade somewhere behind them and pretty soon Mrs Fox saw that they were being followed she and Tommy started to run and Tommy saw that there was one more bad thing about winter swift river and all the little brooks were covered with thick ice and there was no chance at all for him and his mother to run through shallow water and throw the dog off their scent it was that strange dog that was chasing them the one that belonged to Farmer Green's hired man he was a very fast runner and in spite of the usual trips that foxes know Mrs Fox and Tommy could not lose him Tommy began to be frightened and old Mrs Fox herself was somewhat worried but she still had a few tricks up her sleeve she didn't intend to let that dog patch them if she could help it oh mother whatever shall we do Tommy said do you think we can get away from him of course Mrs Fox answered but you must do just as I tell you now follow right in my tracks and don't be frightened I'm going to show you a new trick one that my own mother taught me when I was no older than you are Mrs Fox turned to the right and started back across the valley she was going straight toward swift river oh dear Tommy cried don't you know that the river is frozen solid mother the dog can follow us across it as easy as anything stop fussing Mrs Fox said looking over her shoulder at Tommy we're not going to the river you just mind me and you'll see in a few minutes that we can feel that dog and she kept on running with Tommy right at her heels end of chapter 18 chapter 19 of the tale of Tommy Fox this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org the tale of Tommy Fox by Arthur Scott Bailey chapter 19 Tommy Fox learns a new trick now there was a road that ran through the valley along the bank of swift river and when Mrs Fox reached it with Tommy close behind her she turned again this time to the left and ran along in the beaten track which the horses and slaves had made Tommy Fox thought it very strange that his mother should lead him to the road where they were sure to find people driving Tommy followed her but he was very unhappy they swung into the road just ahead of the farmer who was driving along in a sleigh the sleigh bells tinkled merrily as the horse trotted smartly down the road but the jingling of the bells did not sound at all pleasant to Tommy Fox it only frightened him all the more the farmer in the sleigh did not see Tommy and his mother for little snow rose high on both sides and the road wound in and out little did he know that Mrs Fox and Tommy were scampering along in front of him of course he couldn't catch them anyhow Tommy knew that much but if they ran very far down the road they would be sure to meet some other man to Tommy it seemed bad enough to have that dog chasing them without going where they were sure to find other enemies Tommy could hear the dog baying and he knew dogs well enough to know that that dog felt very sure he was going to catch them but pretty soon Tommy heard the dog talking in a very different fashion he gave a number of short barks which meant that he was in trouble Mrs Fox looked over her shoulder and smiled at Tommy she knew that they were safe she knew that the dog had not reached the road until the farmer had driven right over their footsteps and spoiled their scent after the horse had passed over their trail the dog could smell only the horse's footprints instead of theirs and Mrs Fox could tell what was happening back there in the road she knew just exactly as well as if she had been there herself she knew that the dog had stopped short and was running all around with his nose to the ground trying to find where she and Tommy had gone but he never found out you see he wasn't half as clever as Mrs Fox it never once occurred to him that Tommy and his mother had turned into the road just ahead of that farmer in his sleigh and finally the stupid dog gave up the chase and went back to Farmer Green's house by that time Mrs Fox and Tommy were safe at home yes they were even having a good laugh over the way they had filled the dog and Tommy had quite forgotten how frightened he had been in fact he began to feel very well pleased with himself though he never once remembered that it was his mother and not himself who had thought of that trick he ought to have felt very grateful to his grandmother for having taught his mother that clever way of treating a dog out of his dinner but Tommy Fox was so conceited that if his grandmother had been there with them he would have thought he knew 10 times as much as she did I've no doubt that he would even have tried to teach her to suck eggs never once stopping to think that she knew all about such things many years before he was born end of chapter 19 chapter 20 at the tail of Tommy Fox this is a LibraVox recording all LibraVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibraVox.org the tale of Tommy Fox by Arthur Scott Bailey chapter 20 the drummer of the woods Tommy Fox stopped short and listened it was early spring and the snow was still deep on the sides of Blue Mountain thump thump thump thump thump thump rub rub rub rub rub if you had heard that sound you would have said that there was a boy hidden somewhere on the mountains and that he was playing a drum but Tommy Fox knew better than that he knew that it was Mr Grouse calling to Mrs Grouse and Tommy knew that he made that noise by beating the air with his strong wings now Tommy Fox had not eaten a Grouse for a long long time he had never captured a Grouse himself in fact he had never even tried since that time in the summer when old mother Grouse had played a trick on him and led him away from her children Tommy made up his mind now that he was old enough and wise enough to capture Mr Grouse but he thought he had better wait until night when Mr Grouse couldn't see well Tommy Fox's eyes you know were even sharper at night than they were in the daytime well Tommy Fox went home and that very night he stole back again to the clump of evergreens where he had heard Mr Grouse drumming it was pretty dark up there on the mountain but Tommy had no trouble at all in finding his way and he kept looking up at the thick branches of the evergreens that he hoped that Mr Grouse was asleep on a low branch which he could reach with a good high jump yes it was dark and it was very cold up there on Blue Mountain for all it was early spring and the evergreen trees bowed beneath a burden of snow which had fallen only the day before it was very still in the forest and when Tommy Fox suddenly heard a cry of whoo whoo whoo he jumped in spite of himself Tommy knew right away that it was only Mr Owl and he felt very sheepish and then all at once Tommy jumped again this time he was terribly frightened for the strangest thing happened the snow rose right up beneath his feet and flew in his face and something struck him a good hard blow under his chin Tommy fell over backward in the snow he was so surprised and a raw like thunder rung through the forest Tommy knew then what had happened maybe you had guessed too for it was Mr Grouse himself he had burrowed his way into the snow so that he might have a warm blanket to cover him during the night and Tommy Fox had stepped squarely on top of him it was no wonder Mr Grouse had sprung up in a hurry he was just as frightened as Tommy himself because he had been sound asleep and he had no idea what was the matter as for Tommy Fox it was a huge joke on him but it was a joke that didn't please Tommy at all he felt very silly when it was all over end of chapter 20 chapter 21 of the tale of Tommy Fox this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org the tale of Tommy Fox by Arthur Scott Bailey chapter 21 the biggest surprise of all it was a pretty big surprise for Tommy Fox when Mr Grouse sprung out of the snow right beneath his feet but it was nothing at all compared with the surprise Tommy had when he reached home very late at night Tommy stole into his mother's house in fact it was nearly morning and Tommy crept in very quietly for he hardly expected that his mother would be awake and he did not want to disturb her Tommy had just curled up on his bed and was all ready to go to sleep when to his great astonishment he heard his mother talking she was not talking to him but to someone near her for she spoke so low that Tommy could not hear what she was saying he thought right away that somebody had come to pay them a visit and he called out who's here mother is it a visitor yes Tommy Mrs Fox answered come here and see who it is Tommy jumped out of bed and hopped across the room at first he couldn't see anybody but his mother it's a joke Tommy explained you're only feeling look sharp said Mrs Fox it's a surprise what do you call this she moved aside a bit and pointed to a little soft woolly thing which lay close beside her Tommy had to look two or three times to see what it was and even then he wasn't sure is it is it a baby he asked that's just what it is his mother said Tommy certainly was surprised and before he could find his voice again Mrs Fox showed him another baby Fox and another and another and another yes there they were five of them all together small and soft and woolly they weren't nearly so brightly coloured as Tommy and his mother just a pale brownish red Tommy Fox could hardly believe it as he stared at them he suddenly noticed something strange about the baby foxes why they're all blind every one of them he cried hadn't we better send them back and get some good ones he asked Mrs Fox liked of course they're blind she said you were blind when you were their age their eyes will be open in a few days well what do you think of them Tommy she asked for Tommy Fox seemed to be lost in thought I was wondering how they would be able to hunt they're so small oh I'll have to hunt for them for a long time his mother explained when they get big enough I shall teach them to hunt for themselves just as I taught you now you see why I showed you how to catch mice and rabbits and woodchucks Mrs Fox said you'll have to look out for yourself now Tommy for I shall have all I can do to find a knuck for myself and five children to eat without feeding a big fellow like you that made Tommy Fox feel very proud he felt bigger and stronger and wiser than ever before I shall get along all right Tommy said I almost caught Mr Grouse tonight but he got away Tommy yawned that he was very sleepy and pretty soon he was curled up on his little beard again dreaming of a wonderful bird that he had caught which was so big that he and his mother and his five little brothers and sisters made a fine meal of it but of course it was only a dream end of chapter 21 end of the tale of Tommy Fox by Arthur Scott Bailey read by Lucy Burgoyne this recording is in the public domain