He knew that the farmer from whom he had stolen that fat hen had seen him run away with it , and he feared that that farmer might be hiding somewhere about with a terrible gun . So Reddy used his eyes and his ears and his nose as only he can use them . All seemed safe . It was as still in that little swamp as if no living creature had ever visited it . Stopping every few steps to look , listen , and sniff , Reddy approached that hollow stump . Quite certain in his own mind that there was no danger , Reddy lightly leaped up on the old stump and peeped into the hollow in the top . Then he blinked his eyes very fast indeed . If ever there has been a surprised Fox in all the Great World that one was Reddy . There was no fat hen in that hollow ! Reddy could n't believe it . He would n't believe it . That fat hen just had to be there . He blinked his eyes some more and looked again . All he saw in that hollow stump was a feather . The fat hen had vanished . All Reddy 's dreams of a good dinner vanished too . A great rage took their place . Somebody had stolen his fat hen ! Reddy looked about him hurriedly and anxiously . There was n't a sign of anybody about , or that anybody had been there .
XXXXX 's anger began to give place to wonder and then to something very like fear .
Fox Reddy World dinner eyes gun mind rage stump top