Little Jack Rabbit and Danny Fox

The Farmer’s Boy

As Little Jack Rabbit and Danny Fox came to the Duck Pond, whom should they see but the Farmer’s Boy sitting by the Old Mill polishing his gun.

Danny Fox stopped short. He had meant to slip around by the bushes and across the Sunny Meadow to his den on the woody hillside. But the sight of that gun made him change his mind.

Now Mr. Merry Sun knew something was wrong as soon as he saw Little Jack Rabbit with Danny Fox. He knew if anybody went with that old robber something mighty unpleasant would surely happen. So kind Mr. Merry Sun sent one of his bright beams dancing along the shiny gun barrel to dazzle the Farmer Boy’s eyes, who turned his head toward the Shady Forest.

Goodness me! When he saw Danny Fox he swung the gun to his shoulder and pulled the trigger. Bang! it went, almost kicking him over.

Ping! and the bullet struck the tree close to Little Jack Rabbit. Away went Danny Fox in one direction, and away hopped the little rabbit in the other.

“Come, Sic’em!” cried the Farmer’s Boy, running after Danny Fox.

The old dog, with his nose close to the ground, ran swiftly across the Sunny Meadow and up the hillside. When he came to the pile of rocks he stopped short and began to bark.

“Is he there, old scout?” asked the Farmer’s Boy.

“Wow, wow, wow!” answered Old Sic’em.

“Oh dear, oh dear!” whispered Mrs. Fox, “do you think they’ll get us?”

Danny Fox laughed, but not very loud. He didn’t want the Farmer’s Boy to hear him. “Never fear, my dear. I’ve rolled a great big stone against the front door. Old Sic’em is all bark. At the same time, it’s not very pleasant to have enemies so close to the house. Where are Slyboots and Bushytail?”

“They are out playing. Do you think anything can happen to them?” answered Mrs. Fox anxiously.

“Not while the Farmer’s Boy is pounding on the front door,” replied Danny Fox. “They won’t come home while he’s around.”

“I’m going back for a shovel,” said the Farmer’s Boy to himself, and he ran over to the Old Mill, leaving Sic’em still digging away. He knew Sic’em would keep Danny Fox in his den until he got back. Old Sic’em was a good hunter and wouldn’t leave. That’s what the Farmer’s Boy thought as he hurriedly picked up the shovel and started back for the hillside.

The Escape

But something had happened while he had been gone. Little Jack Rabbit had hopped along the edge of the Shady Forest almost up to where Old Sic’em was digging out Danny Fox’s front door.

Just then the old dog had stopped to rest and, looking around, saw the little rabbit. In a second he forgot all about Danny Fox. Down the Sunny Meadow, across the Bubbling Brook, around in a great circle, he chased the little bunny until he finally popped into his burrow in the Old Bramble Patch.

Of course, when the Farmer’s Boy returned to Danny Fox’s house, there was no Sic’em to be seen anywhere. And there wasn’t any Danny Fox, nor Mrs. Fox, either, in the den.

But the Farmer’s Boy didn’t know that. Oh, my no! He hadn’t seen them creep out when Old Sic’em ran after the little rabbit. He just set to work with his shovel and dug away until he reached Danny Fox’s house. But there was nobody home. No, indeed. The Fox House was empty.

The Farmer’s Boy was mad. Of course he was. He had dug and dug and dug until his arms ached, and when he had finally reached the place where he hoped to find Danny Fox, there wasn’t any Danny Fox. It was enough to make any boy mad.

And where do you suppose Danny Fox and Mrs. Fox were all this time? Why, they were in the Shady Forest with Bushytail and Slyboots.

“We must find another home,” said Danny Fox. “It won’t do to go back to the old one.”

“No, indeed,” sighed Mrs. Fox; “there’s nothing left but a pile of sand and stones.”

“I know of a nice place,” cried Slyboots. “Shall I show it to you?”

“Yes,” answered Danny Fox. Then Slyboots led them to a cave in the Shady Forest. It was under a ledge of rocks on a little rise of ground. Big trees and thick bushes grew all around it. It was so hidden from sight that Danny Fox was almost glad they had lost their old home.

“This is very fine, my son,” he said, turning to Slyboots. “It’ll be a long time before anyone finds out where we live.”

Danny Fox Is Discovered

Old Sic’em, the Kind Farmer’s dog, was sound asleep, his head half through the round front door of his little house in the old farm yard.

But as soon as he heard the thumpty-thump of Little Jack Rabbit’s feet, he woke up mighty quick. Maybe he thought a tramp was coming down the road, and maybe he didn’t.