“I’m sorry,” replied the little fox boy slowly and sadly.
“Never mind,” said his father. “You’ll do better the next time.”
But it was some days before the little foxes learned to catch anything.
“Oh, shall we ever learn?” asked Twinkle.
“Of course you will,” said his mother. “When I was a young fox, like you, I thought I’d never catch my first mouse. But I did.”
So Mr. and Mrs. Fox had to keep on catching the things the little foxes ate, though each day Sharp Eyes, Twinkle and Winkle were getting quicker and better.
But one day Mr. Fox came home without any dinner.
“What’s the matter?” asked Mrs. Fox. “Couldn’t you catch anything to-day?”
“No,” answered Mr. Fox. “In fact, I didn’t see a thing. I’ve tramped all over these woods, but not a bird or an animal could I see. Of course I saw cows and horses in the farmers’ yards, but they are too big for me to carry off.”