shall plan properly. But Hare’s mate didn’t travel all that great distance from Farthing Wood to be savaged to death in her new home. If we have no security here we have nothing. This bloodthirsty creature doesn’t kill for food but from envy and hatred of us.’
‘I believe there is an element of fear in his behaviour,’ observed Whistler.
‘Yes,’ agreed Fox. ‘And he will have reason to fear us, too. I can promise him that.’
‘Don’t forget, Fox, our little band is weak compared with the forces Scarface can draw on,’ warned Badger. ‘We don’t want to bite off more than we can chew. Wouldn’t it, perhaps, be better to invoke the authority of the Great Stag in the affair?’
‘Stuff and nonsense, Badger!’ snorted Tawny Owl. ‘What could he do? Scarface has just given the best possible demonstration of what he thinks of the Great Stag’s authority!’
‘Quite right, Owl,’ said Fox. ‘But there will be no pitched battle between the Farthing Wood animals and Scarface’s army of foxes. Never fear, Badger,’ he added reassuringly. ‘It is subtlety that’s called for here and that’s where we have the advantage.’
No one paid any attention to the indirect compliment Fox paid himself, for they all knew he was the master of cunning. Only Tawny Owl liked to believe his own wits were a match for Fox’s and he prepared himself to givethe advice that would be needed.
But Fox continued: ‘Scarface is our enemy. We have no real quarrel with his subordinates. I’m sure that they would do nothing on their own. That means we must eliminate their leader.’
‘Do you mean kill him?’ Leveret asked.
‘Of course he does,’ Tawny Owl chipped in. ‘It’s obvious that must be our first move.’
‘Not first move, Owl. Only move,’ said Fox calmly.
‘Oh – um – yes, naturally. Er – would that be sufficient, do you think?’ Tawny Owl answered, trying hard to appear full of wisdom.
‘I think so,’ replied Fox. ‘Scarface is the trouble-maker. Without his presence, I am convinced the other foxes wouldn’t interfere any further with us. So we have to find a way of removing that presence.’
‘If I thought I could achieve that,’ said Hare, ‘I’d willingly sacrifice myself.’
‘No!’ said Fox shortly. ‘My dear friend, we want no more sacrifices. I don’t want another life lost.’
‘No, no,’ said Tawny Owl importantly. ‘No one of us is equal to a contest. But together . . .’
‘Together, what?’ queried Weasel mischievously, who was quite aware of Tawny Owl’s high opinion of himself.
‘Quite clearly we have to ambush him,’ came the peremptory answer.
‘What, all of us?’
‘Certainly.’
‘Including the voles and fieldmice? Yes, I’m sure they would be very useful, Tawny Owl.’
‘Er – humph! Well, no, not them specifically. You know I didn’t mean literally – er – well, the whole – er – of us,’ the bird spluttered.
Fox came to his rescue. ‘I think I have a better plan,’ he announced, ‘though ambush does come into it, in a way.’
Tawny Owl completely regained his self-composure at these words and stretched his wings in a haughty way while he directed a look at Weasel which quite plainly said: ‘You see!’
‘I’m thinking along the lines of a great deal of stealth and surprise being used,’ explained Fox. ‘That would certainly be necessary. Now, who do you think fits best into that category?’
‘Are you perhaps referring to yourself?’ queried Badger.
‘No, not at all,’ answered Fox. ‘I’m far too big. As I see it, there is only one candidate. He is capable of lying in Scarface’s path, completely hidden. And he has the capacity to kill with one blow.’
‘You can only be thinking of Adder?’ remarked Whistler.
‘Exactly,’ said Fox. ‘Scarface would be poisoned. Now, the only difficulty I can foresee is Adder himself. Will he cooperate?’
‘Well, Fox, you know, he’s such a strange creature,’ said
‘I believe there is an element of fear in his behaviour,’ observed Whistler.
‘Yes,’ agreed Fox. ‘And he will have reason to fear us, too. I can promise him that.’
‘Don’t forget, Fox, our little band is weak compared with the forces Scarface can draw on,’ warned Badger. ‘We don’t want to bite off more than we can chew. Wouldn’t it, perhaps, be better to invoke the authority of the Great Stag in the affair?’
‘Stuff and nonsense, Badger!’ snorted Tawny Owl. ‘What could he do? Scarface has just given the best possible demonstration of what he thinks of the Great Stag’s authority!’
‘Quite right, Owl,’ said Fox. ‘But there will be no pitched battle between the Farthing Wood animals and Scarface’s army of foxes. Never fear, Badger,’ he added reassuringly. ‘It is subtlety that’s called for here and that’s where we have the advantage.’
No one paid any attention to the indirect compliment Fox paid himself, for they all knew he was the master of cunning. Only Tawny Owl liked to believe his own wits were a match for Fox’s and he prepared himself to givethe advice that would be needed.
But Fox continued: ‘Scarface is our enemy. We have no real quarrel with his subordinates. I’m sure that they would do nothing on their own. That means we must eliminate their leader.’
‘Do you mean kill him?’ Leveret asked.
‘Of course he does,’ Tawny Owl chipped in. ‘It’s obvious that must be our first move.’
‘Not first move, Owl. Only move,’ said Fox calmly.
‘Oh – um – yes, naturally. Er – would that be sufficient, do you think?’ Tawny Owl answered, trying hard to appear full of wisdom.
‘I think so,’ replied Fox. ‘Scarface is the trouble-maker. Without his presence, I am convinced the other foxes wouldn’t interfere any further with us. So we have to find a way of removing that presence.’
‘If I thought I could achieve that,’ said Hare, ‘I’d willingly sacrifice myself.’
‘No!’ said Fox shortly. ‘My dear friend, we want no more sacrifices. I don’t want another life lost.’
‘No, no,’ said Tawny Owl importantly. ‘No one of us is equal to a contest. But together . . .’
‘Together, what?’ queried Weasel mischievously, who was quite aware of Tawny Owl’s high opinion of himself.
‘Quite clearly we have to ambush him,’ came the peremptory answer.
‘What, all of us?’
‘Certainly.’
‘Including the voles and fieldmice? Yes, I’m sure they would be very useful, Tawny Owl.’
‘Er – humph! Well, no, not them specifically. You know I didn’t mean literally – er – well, the whole – er – of us,’ the bird spluttered.
Fox came to his rescue. ‘I think I have a better plan,’ he announced, ‘though ambush does come into it, in a way.’
Tawny Owl completely regained his self-composure at these words and stretched his wings in a haughty way while he directed a look at Weasel which quite plainly said: ‘You see!’
‘I’m thinking along the lines of a great deal of stealth and surprise being used,’ explained Fox. ‘That would certainly be necessary. Now, who do you think fits best into that category?’
‘Are you perhaps referring to yourself?’ queried Badger.
‘No, not at all,’ answered Fox. ‘I’m far too big. As I see it, there is only one candidate. He is capable of lying in Scarface’s path, completely hidden. And he has the capacity to kill with one blow.’
‘You can only be thinking of Adder?’ remarked Whistler.
‘Exactly,’ said Fox. ‘Scarface would be poisoned. Now, the only difficulty I can foresee is Adder himself. Will he cooperate?’
‘Well, Fox, you know, he’s such a strange creature,’ said
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