34 Redruff 



the sky itself. Always (or enemies she anOmed 

 seeking — friends were too scarce to bt; looked 

 for — and an enemy she found. Away across 

 the level beaver meadow was a great brute of a 

 fox. He was coming their way, and in a few 

 moments would surely wind them or strike 

 their trail. There was no time to lose. 



*Krrr! Krrr !* (Hide! Hide!) cried the 

 mother in a low, firm voice, and the little bits 

 of things, scarcely bigger than acorns and but 

 a day old, scattered far (a few inches) apart to 

 hide. One dived under a leaf, another between 

 two roots, a third crawled into a curl of birch- 

 bark, a fourth into a hole, and so on, till all 

 were hidden but one who could find no cover, 

 so squatted on a broad yellow chip and lay 

 very flat, and closed his eyes very tight, sure 

 that now he was safe from being seen. They 

 ceased their frightened peeping and all was 

 still. 



Mother Partridge flew straight toward the 

 dreaded beast, alighted fearlessly a few yards 

 to one side of him, and then flung herself on 

 the ground, flopping as though winged and 

 lame — oh, so dreadfully lame — and whining like 

 a distressed puppy. Was she begging for 

 mercy — mercy from a bloodthirsty, cruel fox ? 

 Oh, dear, no 1 She was no fool. One often 



