Good evening and welcome to Dreamtime Stories with Jackie.
I'm so glad you're here to join me in another chapter of Old Granny Fox.
When last we left them Granny and Reddy were in the hen house in chapter 25.
So we're gonna read chapter 26 today.
So make sure you snuggle down into your blankets and get so comfortable and ready for sleep time as we get ready to read chapter 26.
Farmer Brown's Boy Sets a Trap.
The trouble is that troubles are,
More frequently than not,
Brought on by naught but carelessness,
By someone who forgot,
Old Granny Fox.
Granny Fox had hoped that those two hens that she and Reddy had stolen from Farmer Brown's hen house would not be missed,
But of course they were.
They were missed the very first thing the next morning when Farmer Brown's boy went to feed the little biddies.
He discovered right away the little sliding door,
Which should have closed the opening through which the hens went in and out of the house,
Was open and then he remembered that he had left the hen yard gate open the night before.
Carefully Farmer Brown's boy examined the hole with the sliding door.
Aha,
He said presently,
And he held up two red hairs which he found on the edge of the door.
Aha,
I thought as much.
I was careless last night and didn't fasten the door and I left the gate open.
Reddy Fox has been here and now I know what has become of my two hens.
Well I suppose it serves me right for my carelessness and I suppose if the truth were known those hens were of more good to him than they ever could have been to me,
Because the poor fellow must be having a pretty hard job of finding food in these hard winter days.
Still I can't have him stealing any more of my hens.
That would never do at all.
If I shut them up every night and am not careless he can't get them.
But accidents happen and I might do just as I did last night and think that I had locked up when I had not.
I don't like to set a trap for Reddy,
But I must teach that rascal a lesson.
If I don't he will get so bold that those chickens won't be safe even in broad daylight.
Now at just that very time over in their home Granny and Reddy Fox were talking over plans for the future and shrewd old Granny was pointing out to Reddy how necessary it was that they should keep away from that hen yard for some time now.
We've had a good dinner Reddy,
A splendid dinner,
And if we are smart enough we may be able to get more good dinners where that one came from,
She said,
But we certainly won't if we are too greedy.
But I don't believe Farmer Brown's boy has missed those two chickens.
I don't see any reason at all why we can't go back there tonight and get two more chickens if he is silly enough to leave that gate and the little door open,
Said Reddy.
Well maybe he hasn't missed those two,
But I guarantee if we should take two more he certainly would miss them and he would guess what had become of them and that might get us into no end of trouble.
So,
Said Granny,
We are not starving now and the best thing for us to do is to keep away from that hen house until we can't get anything to eat anywhere else.
Now you mind what I tell you,
Reddy,
And don't you dare go near that hen house.
Reddy promised and so it came about that Farmer Brown's boy hunted up a trap all for nothing so far as Reddy and Granny Vox were concerned.
Very carefully he bound strips of cloth around the jaws of the trap for he couldn't bear to think of those cruel sharp jaws cutting into a leg of Reddy should he happen to get caught.
You see,
Farmer Brown's boy didn't intend to hurt Reddy if he should catch him,
But to make him a prisoner for a little while and keep him out of mischief.
So,
That night he hid the trap very cunningly just inside the hen house where anyone creeping in through that little hole made for the hens to go in and out would be sure to step in it and then he purposely left a little sliding door open just a little way as if it had been forgotten and he also left the hen yard gate open just as he had done the night before.
There now,
Reddy Fox said he talking to himself,
I rather think that you are going to get into trouble before morning.
And doubtless Reddy would have done just that thing but for the wisdom of sly old Granny Vox.
Oh,
Wow,
That was exciting.
So,
I hope you come back really soon and join me for chapter 27.
We're getting to the end of the book.
There's only three more chapters before the end.
I'm gonna miss Granny and Reddy after we're done with this book.
Anyway,
I hope you have a very good sleep tonight and come back soon.
This is Jackie sending you many,
Many hugs.
Good night now.
