You see they were very brave , very brave indeed , so long as Johnny Chuck had Reddy Fox down , but now that Reddy Fox was free , each one was suddenly afraid and thought only of himself . Jimmy Skunk knocked Jerry Muskrat flat in his hurry to get away . Billy Mink trod on Great-Grandfather Frog 's big feet and did n't even say `` Excuse me . '' Striped Chipmunk ran head first into a big thistle and squealed as much from fear as pain . But Reddy Fox paid no attention to any of them . He just wanted to get away , and off he started , limping as fast as he could go up the Lone Little Path . Such a looking sight ! His beautiful red coat was in tatters . His face was scratched . He hobbled as he ran . And just as he broke away , Johnny Chuck made a grab and pulled a great mouthful of hair out of the splendid tail Reddy Fox was so proud of . When the little meadow people saw that Reddy Fox was actually running away , they stopped running themselves , and all began to shout : `` Reddy Fox is a coward and a bully ! Coward ! Coward ! '' Then they crowded around Johnny Chuck and all began talking at once about his great fight . Just then they heard a great noise up on the hill . They saw Reddy Fox coming back down the Lone Little Path , and he was using his legs just as well as he knew how . Right behind him , his great mouth open and waking all the echoes with his big voice , was Bowser the Hound . You see , although Peter Rabbit could n't fight for his little baby brother and is usually very , very timid , he is n't altogether a coward . Indeed , he had been very brave , very brave indeed .
He had gone up to Farmer Brown 's and had jumped right under the nose of XXXXX the Hound .
Bowser Coward Fox Mink Muskrat Path Rabbit first tatters thistle