Dropping this hen at Reddy’s feet, Granny crowded another until she did the same thing, and just the same thing happened once more. Then Granny jumped lightly down, picked up one of the hens by the neck, slung the body over her shoulder, and told Reddy to do the same with the other and start for home. “Aren’t you going to get any more while we have the chance?” grumbled Reddy. “Enough is enough,” retorted Granny. “We’ve got a dinner for two, and so far no one is any the wiser. Perhaps these two won’t be missed, and we’ll have a chance to get some more another night. Now come on.” This was plain common sense, and Reddy knew it, so without another word he followed old Granny Fox out by the way they had entered, and then home to the best dinner he had had for a long long time. CHAPTER XXVI Farmer Brown’s Boy Sets A Trap The trouble is that troubles are, More frequently than not, Brought on by naught but carelessness; By some one who forgot. —_Old Granny Fox_. Granny Fox had hoped that those two hens she and Reddy had stolen from Farmer Brown’s henhouse would not be missed, but they were. They were missed the very first thing the next morning when Farmer Brown’s boy went to feed the biddies. He discovered right away that the little sliding door which should have closed the opening through which the hens went in and out of the house was open, and then he remembered that he had left the henyard gate open the night before. Carefully Farmer Brown’s boy examined the hole with the sliding door. “Ha!” said he presently, and held up two red hairs which he had found on the edge of the door. “Ha! I thought as much. I was careless last night and didn’t fasten this door, and I left the gate open. Reddy Fox has been here, and now I know what has become of those two hens. I suppose it serves me right for my carelessness, and I suppose if the truth were known, those hens were of more real good to him than they ever could have been to me, because the poor fellow must be having pretty hard work to get a living these hard winter days. Still, I can’t have him stealing any more. That would never do at all. If I shut them up every night and am not careless, he can’t get them. But accidents will happen, and I might do just as I did last night—think I had locked up when I hadn’t. I don’t like to set a trap for Reddy, but I must teach the rascal a lesson. If I don’t, he will get so bold that those chickens won’t be safe even in broad daylight.” Now at just that very time over in their home, Granny and Reddy Fox were talking over plans for the future, and shrewd old Granny was pointing out to Reddy how necessary it was that they should keep away from that henyard for some time. “We’ve had a good dinner, a splendid dinner, and if we are smart enough we may be able to get more good dinners where this one came from,” said she. “But we certainly won’t if we are too greedy.”