24 Ways of Wood Folk. 



Hardly had he reached this conclusion when a 

 wild cackle arose that left no doubt about it. On 

 the instant he whirled an empty box against the open- 

 ing, at the same time pounding lustily to frighten 

 the thief from killing more chickens. Reynard was 

 trapped sure enough. The fox-hunter listened at the 

 door, but save for an occasional surprised ait-aa-cut, 

 not a sound was heard within. 



Very cautiously he opened the door and squeezed 

 through. There lay a fine pullet stone dead ; just 

 beyond lay the fox, dead too. 



" Well, of all things," said the fox-hunter, open- 

 mouthed, " if he has n't gone and climbed the roost 

 after that pullet, and then tumbled down and broken 

 his own neck ! " 



Highly elated with this unusual beginning of his 

 hunt, he picked up the fox and the pullet and laid 

 them down together on the box outside, while he fed 

 his chickens. 



When he came out, a minute later, there was the 

 box and a feather or two, but no fox and no pullet. 

 Deep tracks led out of the yard and up over the hill 

 in flying jumps. Then it dawned upon our hunter 

 that Reynard had played the possum-game on him, 

 getting away with a whole skin and a good dinner. 



There was no need to look farther for a orood fox 

 track. Soon the music of the hounds went rineine 



