The Springfield Fox 



down in the door of his den, or if the enemy 

 was very near he went inside and stayed long 

 enough for the danger to pass. 



One morning Vixen and her mate seemed to 

 decide that it was time the children knew some- 

 thing about the broad subject of Woodchucks, 

 and further that this orchard woodchuck would 

 serve nicely for an object-lesson. So they went 

 together to the orchard-fence unseen by old 

 Chuckie on his stump. Scarface then showed 

 himself in the orchard and quietly walked in 

 a line so as to pass by the stump at a dis- 

 tance, but never once turned his head or al- 

 lowed the ever-watchful woodchuck to think 

 himself seen. When the fox entered the field 

 the woodchuck quietly dropped down to the 

 mouth of his den ; here he waited as the fox 

 passed, but concluding that after all wisdom is 

 the better part, went into his hole. 



This was what the foxes wanted. Vixen had 

 kept out of sight, but now ran swiftly to the 

 stump and hid behind it. Scarface had kept 

 straight on, going very slowly. The woodchuck 

 had not been frightened, so before long his head 

 popped up between the roots and he looked 



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