REDDY FOX had caught Danny Meadow Mouse, and yet he hadn't caught him. He had found Danny hiding in the old tomato can, and it didn't enter Reddy's head that he couldn't get Danny out when he wanted to. He was in no hurry. He had had a pretty good breakfast of grasshoppers¹, and so he thought he would torment² Danny awhile before gobbling him up. He lay down so that he could peep in at the open end of the old can and see Danny trying to make himself as small as possible at the other end. Reddy grinned until he showed all his long teeth. Reddy always is a bully³, especially when his victim is a great deal smaller and weaker than himself.
 
“I've got you this time, Mr. Smarty, haven't I?” taunted⁴ Reddy.
 
Danny didn't say anything.
 
“You think you've been very clever because you have fooled me two or three times, don't you? Well, this time I've got you where your tricks won't work,” continued Reddy, “so what are you going to do about it?”
 
Danny didn't answer. The fact is, he was too frightened to answer. Besides, he didn't know what he could do. So he just kept still, but his bright eyes never once left Reddy's cruel face. For all his fright, Danny was doing some hard thinking. He had been in tight places before and had learned never to give up hope. Something might happen to frighten Reddy away. Anyway, Reddy had to get him out of that old can before he would admit that he was really caught.
 
For a long time Reddy lay there licking his chops and saying all the things he could think of to frighten poor Danny Meadow Mouse. At last he grew tired of this and made up his mind that that it was time to end it and Danny Meadow Mouse at the same time. He thrust his sharp nose in at the opening in the end of the old can, but the opening was too small for him to get more than his nose in, and he only scratched it on the sharp edges without so much as touching⁵ Danny.
 
“I'll pull you out,” said Reddy and thrust in one black paw.
 
Danny promptly6

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