Somehow happy-go-lucky Bobby Coon had been overlooked when the invitations were sent out . `` I move , '' continued Reddy Fox , `` that because Billy Mink runs swiftly , and because he knows where Bobby Coon usually is to be found , he be appointed a committee of one to find Bobby Coon and bring him to the feast . '' Now nothing could have been less to the liking of Billy Mink , but there was nothing for him to do but to yield as gracefully as he could and go in search of Bobby Coon . No sooner had Billy Mink disappeared down the Lone Little Path than Reddy Fox recalled a nest of grouse eggs he had seen that day under a big hemlock , and he proposed that inasmuch as Jimmy Skunk already wore stripes for having stolen a nest of eggs from Mrs. Grouse , he was just the one to go steal these eggs and bring them to the feast . Of course there was nothing for Jimmy Skunk to do but to yield as gracefully as he could and go in search of the nest of eggs under the big hemlock . No sooner had Jimmy Skunk started off than Reddy Fox remembered a big shining sucker Farmer Brown 's boy had caught that afternoon and tossed among the rushes beside the Smiling Pool . Little Joe Otter listened and his mouth watered and watered until he could sit still no longer . `` If you please , '' said Little Joe Otter , `` I 'll run down to the Smiling Pool and get that sucker to add to the feast . '' No sooner was Little Joe Otter out of sight than Reddy Fox was reminded of a field of carrots on the other side of the Green Meadows . Now Peter Rabbit and Jumper the Hare are very fond of tender young carrots and they volunteered to bring a supply for the feast . So away they hurried with big jumps down the Lone Little Path and out across the Green Meadows . No sooner were Peter Rabbit and Jumper the Hare fairly started than Reddy Fox began to tell of some luscious sweet apples he had noticed under a wild apple tree a little way back on the hill . Now Jerry Muskrat is quite as fond of luscious sweet apples as of fresh-water clams , so quietly slipping away , he set out in quest of the wild apple tree a little way back on the hill . No sooner was Jerry Muskrat lost in the black shadows than Reddy Fox turned to speak to Shadow the Weasel . But Shadow the Weasel believes that a feast in the stomach is worth two banquets untasted , so while the others had been talking , he had quietly sucked dry the three big eggs stolen by Jimmy Skunk from old Gray Goose , and then because he is so slim and so quick and so sly , he slipped away without anyone seeing him . So when Reddy Fox turned to speak to Shadow the Weasel , he found himself alone . At least he thought himself alone , and he smiled a wicked , selfish smile as he walked over to Billy Mink 's duck . He was thinking how smart he had been to get rid of all the others , and of how he would enjoy the feast all by himself . As Reddy Fox stooped to pick up Billy Mink 's duck , a great shadow dropped softly , oh so softly , out of the Lone Pine down onto the plump chicken . Then without the teeniest , weeniest bit of noise , it floated back into the Lone Pine and with it went the plump chicken .
Reddy XXXXX , still with his wicked , selfish smile , trotted back with Billy Mink 's duck , but he dropped it in sheer surprise when he discovered that his plump chicken had disappeared .
Brown Fox Goose Grouse Mink Otter Pine Skunk afternoon day