09

RED FOX AND THE NEST

Mrs. Hen was in the garden.

She was eating corn.

Then she went to her nest.

She saw something black in her nest.

“Cluck, cluck! Oh, I am so frightened!”

said Mrs. Hen.

And away she ran.

She ran and ran till she met Mrs. Duck.

Mrs. Duck said, “Quack, quack! Good morning, Mrs. Hen.”

Mrs. Hen said, “Oh, I am so frightened! There is something black in my nest.”

“Did you look at it?” asked Mrs. Duck.

“Yes, I did,” said Mrs. Hen.

“Did you talk to it?” asked Mrs. Duck.

“No, I did not,” said Mrs. Hen.

“Let us go and tell Mrs. Goose,” said Mrs. Duck.

So they walked and walked till they met

Mrs. Goose.

Mrs. Goose said, “S-s-s! Good morning, Mrs. Hen.”

Mrs. Hen said, “Oh, I am so frightened! There is something black in my nest.”

“Did you look at it?” asked Mrs. Goose.

“Yes, I did,” said Mrs. Hen.

“Did you talk to it?” asked Mrs. Goose.

“No, I did not,” said Mrs. Hen.

“Let us go and tell Mr. Owl,” said Mrs.

Goose.

So they walked and walked.

On the way they saw Red Fox.

Red Fox saw them, too.

Red Fox said to himself,

“What a fine dinner Mrs. Hen would

make!

What a fine dinner Mrs. Duck would make!

What a fine dinner Mrs. Goose would

make!

I will try to catch them.”

“Oh, I am so frightened!” said Mrs. Duck.“Oh, I am so frightened!” said Mrs. Goose.And they ran away.

Mrs. Hen flew up into a tree

Red Fox went to the tree.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“There is something black in my nest,” said Mrs. Hen. “I am going to tell Mr. Owl.”

“Do not tell Mr. Owl,” said he. “I will go and see what is in your nest.”

Red Fox said to himself, “Maybe there is a fine dinner in Mrs. Hen’s nest.

Red Fox went to the nest.

He looked in the nest and saw—a black hat!

“Oh,” said Red Fox, “it is only a black hat! What do you think of that?”