see it clearly

An Exciting Meeting

by Thornton W. Burgess

Old Granny fox and Reddy Fox had been paying a visit every evening to the Old Brier Patch with the hope that they might catch Peter Rabbit or Danny Meadow Mouse outside. But their visits were of no use whatever. Peter and Danny always were safely inside the dear Old Brier patch and always on the watch for Granny and Reddy Fox.

"I tell you what it is, Reddy, we must surprise them. We must go over there when they don't expect us and are not looking for us," said Granny Fox as she and Reddy stole back to the Green Forest one evening. "We'll go very early tomorrow morning."

So very early the next morning Granny Fox and Reddy Fox started out for the dear Old Brier Patch. About the same time some others started for the dear Old Brier patch. They were Bowser the Hound and Farmer Brown's boy. Now they were coming from one direction and Granny and Reddy Fox were coming from the opposite direction, so of course they dear Old Brier Patch lay right between then, and neither party saw the other.

But Peter Rabbit and Danny Meadow Mouse, peeping out from the Old Brier patch had seen Farmer Brown's boy and Bowser the Hound coming from one direction and Granny and Reddy Fox coming from the other, and they hugged themselves for joy as they thought of the things that were likely to happen right on the edge of the Old Brier Patch pretty soon.

Farmer Brown's boy walked just as softly as he knew how right at the heels of Bowser the Hound, for they wanted to surprise Peter Rabbit. Reddy Fox trotted just as softly as he knew how right at the heels of old Granny Fox, for they wanted to surprise Peter Rabbit. And safe in the dear Old Brier Patch Peter Rabbit nudged Danny Meadow Mouse and clapped both hands over his mouth to keep from laughing aloud as he watched.

Along one edge of the Old Brier Patch stole old Granny Fox and Reddy Fox, their minds full of Peter Rabbit. Along the opposite edge of the Old Brier Patch stole Farmer Brown's boy and Bowser the Hound, their minds full of Peter Rabbit. All at the same time they turned the end of the Old Brier Patch and came face to face.

Farmer Brown's boy and Bowser the Hound stared at Granny Fox and Reddy Fox and Granny Fox and Reddy Fox stared at Farmer Brown's boy and Bowser the Hound. For a whole minute no one moved, everybody was so surprised. Then Granny Fox came to her senses and turned like a flash. Of course Reddy was right in her way and of course she knocked him over and fell sprawling herself. Of course Reddy yelled with fright and of course both scrambled to their feet in a twinkling and were running so fast that they looked just like little red streaks against the white snow, nothing more.

Bowser the Hound opened his mouth and with a great roar started after them. But Farmer brown's boy was so surprised that he just stood and stared foolishly. He quite forgot that he had a gun until it was too late to shoot. And deep in the secret place in the dear Old Brier Patch, Peter Rabbit and Danny Meadow Mouse rolled over and over in the snow and laughed until their sides ached as they thought of how funny everybody had looked and how frightened Reddy Fox had been when Granny ran into him.