Badger. ‘There’s no knowing how he would react to such a suggestion.’
‘Surely there is only one way to react?’ said Hare. ‘Is he with us or not?’
‘That is never in doubt,’ Fox said stoutly. ‘But he does hate being told what to do. If we could somehow put it in his mind that he is the key to our safety, there would be no question of his not acting. He would make the decision himself and woe betide us if we should praise him afterwards.’
‘That’s Adder all over,’ admitted Weasel. ‘Well then, someone has to have a little talk with him.’
‘Who is closest to him?’ queried Hare.
‘No one’s close to Adder,’ remarked Tawny Owl.
‘Well, who is he most receptive to?’
‘How about Toad?’ suggested Weasel.
‘That might work,’ agreed Fox. ‘But Toad would have to be found first and I don’t know anyone who’s seen him recently.’
‘Toad’s not the one for this job,’ said Tawny Owl deprecatingly. ‘It calls for someone with the utmost subtlety.’
‘That lets you out then,’ said Weasel rudely, who saw where Tawny Owl’s remark was supposed to lead.
‘How dare you!’ he snapped. ‘We all know you’re incapable anyway.’
‘Now, now,’ Fox pleaded. ‘Don’t start again. D’you know, I think innocence may serve as well as guile with Adder? Then he’s less likely to suspect he’s being used.
‘Now my cub, Bold, is always talking of the snake. I think he really admires him, and Adder probably knows it. He might be just what we’re looking for.’
‘An excellent idea, Fox,’ enthused Badger. ‘And Bold will feel he is going some way towards making up for his recent misdemeanour.’
‘Then it’s settled,’ said Fox. ‘I shall go and speak to him straight away. He can search out Adder tomorrow and the thing will be done.’
‘Will you let us know how things go?’ Weasel wanted to know.
‘Yes. Let’s meet again and Bold himself can tell you,’ suggested Fox. ‘In the meantime, Hare, you and Leveret must lie low. Farewell to you all for the moment.’
‘Is Adder’s venom really so powerful?’ Leveret asked as Fox trotted away.
‘I believe so,’ Badger answered him. ‘I understand even humans are fearful of snakebite.’
‘Then he carries a deadly weapon indeed,’ the young hare murmured. ‘How I wish he had been close at hand when my mother was attacked.’
Bold, of course, received his father’s suggestion enthusiastically. He was overjoyed to be chosen to undertake the important mission of priming Adder. His brother, Friendly, was also keen to be involved and pestered his father to let him go too, until he eventually relented.
‘Very well,’ said Fox. ‘I suppose there’s no harm in it, as long as you leave Bold to do most of the talking.’
This confidence in his ability made Bold positively glow but, far from becoming conceited, he was only too aware of the trust being put in him. Fox explained to him Adder’s whereabouts.
‘We’ll leave early,’ said Bold. ‘There’s no time to be lost where lives are at stake.’
So, just after first light on the next day, he and Friendlyleft the den to search for the unsuspecting Adder. Fox turned to Vixen and said: ‘If he’s successful in this, I think he’s entitled to a little more independence. If he shows signs of wanting to leave the earth permanently, we must let him.’
‘I never expected to have to chase him away from the family home,’ remarked Vixen, ‘but it’s a task that often falls to the mother fox when the cubs are too clinging.’
‘Yes, that’s certainly one of the less pleasant of a vixen’s duties,’ remarked her mate. ‘In your case, it may be our other two cubs who have to be chivvied a little.’
Vixen said: ‘I think Friendly will go wherever his brother goes. It’s this one who could be the problem.’ She nodded towards Charmer who was still sleeping.
‘Unless, of course, she should find herself a mate,’ Fox pointed out.
Bold and
‘Surely there is only one way to react?’ said Hare. ‘Is he with us or not?’
‘That is never in doubt,’ Fox said stoutly. ‘But he does hate being told what to do. If we could somehow put it in his mind that he is the key to our safety, there would be no question of his not acting. He would make the decision himself and woe betide us if we should praise him afterwards.’
‘That’s Adder all over,’ admitted Weasel. ‘Well then, someone has to have a little talk with him.’
‘Who is closest to him?’ queried Hare.
‘No one’s close to Adder,’ remarked Tawny Owl.
‘Well, who is he most receptive to?’
‘How about Toad?’ suggested Weasel.
‘That might work,’ agreed Fox. ‘But Toad would have to be found first and I don’t know anyone who’s seen him recently.’
‘Toad’s not the one for this job,’ said Tawny Owl deprecatingly. ‘It calls for someone with the utmost subtlety.’
‘That lets you out then,’ said Weasel rudely, who saw where Tawny Owl’s remark was supposed to lead.
‘How dare you!’ he snapped. ‘We all know you’re incapable anyway.’
‘Now, now,’ Fox pleaded. ‘Don’t start again. D’you know, I think innocence may serve as well as guile with Adder? Then he’s less likely to suspect he’s being used.
‘Now my cub, Bold, is always talking of the snake. I think he really admires him, and Adder probably knows it. He might be just what we’re looking for.’
‘An excellent idea, Fox,’ enthused Badger. ‘And Bold will feel he is going some way towards making up for his recent misdemeanour.’
‘Then it’s settled,’ said Fox. ‘I shall go and speak to him straight away. He can search out Adder tomorrow and the thing will be done.’
‘Will you let us know how things go?’ Weasel wanted to know.
‘Yes. Let’s meet again and Bold himself can tell you,’ suggested Fox. ‘In the meantime, Hare, you and Leveret must lie low. Farewell to you all for the moment.’
‘Is Adder’s venom really so powerful?’ Leveret asked as Fox trotted away.
‘I believe so,’ Badger answered him. ‘I understand even humans are fearful of snakebite.’
‘Then he carries a deadly weapon indeed,’ the young hare murmured. ‘How I wish he had been close at hand when my mother was attacked.’
Bold, of course, received his father’s suggestion enthusiastically. He was overjoyed to be chosen to undertake the important mission of priming Adder. His brother, Friendly, was also keen to be involved and pestered his father to let him go too, until he eventually relented.
‘Very well,’ said Fox. ‘I suppose there’s no harm in it, as long as you leave Bold to do most of the talking.’
This confidence in his ability made Bold positively glow but, far from becoming conceited, he was only too aware of the trust being put in him. Fox explained to him Adder’s whereabouts.
‘We’ll leave early,’ said Bold. ‘There’s no time to be lost where lives are at stake.’
So, just after first light on the next day, he and Friendlyleft the den to search for the unsuspecting Adder. Fox turned to Vixen and said: ‘If he’s successful in this, I think he’s entitled to a little more independence. If he shows signs of wanting to leave the earth permanently, we must let him.’
‘I never expected to have to chase him away from the family home,’ remarked Vixen, ‘but it’s a task that often falls to the mother fox when the cubs are too clinging.’
‘Yes, that’s certainly one of the less pleasant of a vixen’s duties,’ remarked her mate. ‘In your case, it may be our other two cubs who have to be chivvied a little.’
Vixen said: ‘I think Friendly will go wherever his brother goes. It’s this one who could be the problem.’ She nodded towards Charmer who was still sleeping.
‘Unless, of course, she should find herself a mate,’ Fox pointed out.
Bold and
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