Now, when Chanticleer had crowed so loud early that morning, he had waked Reynard, the fox, who lived in the woods near by. Reynard thought he would like a nice cock for his dinner.So he hid in the bushes outside the barnyard.

While scratching for food, Chanticleer wandered near the bushes and saw the fox.With a cry of fright, he started to run away, but Reynard called to him in his gentlest voice.

“Do not run away, dear friend,” he said. “I am just waiting to hear you sing. I heard you early this morning when you were waking up the barnyard. Your voice is wonderful. It is just like your father’s voice. I remember very well watching him as he sang. He would always stretch out his long neck, flap his wings, and close his eyes before he began. Do all great cocks sing like that? Good Chanticleer, do sing for me.”

Of course Chanticleer felt much pleased to hear these words of praise. Just to show that he was as great as his father, he stretched out his long neck, flapped his wings, shut his eyes, and crowed loud and long. Foolish cock! While his eyes were closed, Reynard, the fox, caught him by his long neck and ran off toward his den.

Every animal in the barnyard had seen the fox, and all set up a loud cry. Their noise aroused the farmer’s sons and the dogs, who started to chase Reynard. kGsUQTw/fRJg3S/8xFpYZ+s4/h3DmhS2MJvdaBvgxjOPK68V+Wdr7d5KeRh+rUd6