“Couldn’t you get a chicken or a duck?”
“I saw some ducks and chickens on one farm,” replied Mr. Fox, “but the farmer, or one of his men, was near them all the while with a gun or a club, and I dared not try to catch one. I’d have been caught or hurt myself if I had. I’m sorry, but we’ll have no dinner to-day.”
Sharp Eyes and his brother and sister felt sad on hearing this. They were very hungry.
“Couldn’t we all go out hunting together?” asked Sharp Eyes, after a bit. “Maybe we could see something you could catch,” he said to his father.
“Well, perhaps that would be a good plan,” replied Mr. Fox. “Come on, we’ll all go out and see if we can find a meal.”
So out into the woods went the five foxes—the two large ones and the three smaller ones. Slowly and carefully they went along, looking from side to side, and sniffing the air for any sign of something to eat.
“There doesn’t seem to be anything,” said Mrs. Fox, with a hungry sigh.
“No,” answered Mr. Fox, “there doesn’t. I never saw the woods so scarce of food.”
All of a sudden Sharp Eyes, who had gone a little way ahead, came softly back.
“I see something!” he said. “Shall I try to get it for our dinner?”