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 Fox , 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 . Now Reddy Fox is very suspicious , as people who are not honest themselves are very apt to be . So he left Billy Mink 's duck where he had dropped it and trotted very , very softly up the Lone Little Path to try to catch the thief who had stolen his plump chicken . No sooner was his back turned than down out of the Lone Pine floated the great shadow , and when a minute later Reddy Fox returned , Billy Mink 's duck had also disappeared . Reddy Fox could hardly believe his eyes . He did n't smile now . He was too angry and too frightened . Yes , Reddy Fox was frightened . He walked in a big circle round and round the place where the plump chicken and the duck had been , and the more he walked , the more suspicious he became . He wrinkled and wrinkled his little black nose in an effort to smell the intruder , but not a whiff could he get . All was as still and peaceful as could be . Little Joe Otter 's trout lay shining in the moonlight . The big head of cabbage lay just where Peter Rabbit and Jumper the Hare had left it . Reddy Fox rubbed his eyes to make sure that he was not dreaming and that the plump chicken and the duck were not there too . Just then Bowser the Hound , over at Farmer Brown 's , bayed at the moon . Reddy Fox always is nervous and by this time he was so fidgety that he could n't stand still . When Bowser the Hound bayed at the moon Reddy Fox jumped a foot off the ground and whirled about in the direction of Farmer Brown 's house . Then he remembered that Bowser the Hound is always chained up at night , so that he had nothing to fear from him .
After listening and looking a moment Reddy XXXXX decided that all was safe .
's Bowser Brown Fox Mink Otter Pine Rabbit left night