“Oh, Funny Fox, take care, take care.
This saying is very true,”
the animals say everywhere.
“They will play a trick on you.”
One day, the Funny Fox roasted a great, fat turkey and said, “Though it is a little before Thanksgiving, I am going to eat my turkey now.”
“Trip-trap,” sounded little feet. “Rap, a-tap,” sounded the knocker.
The Funny Fox went to the door and saw no one, but a voice said,
“Turkey’s not good, so I’ve heard say,
without cranberries on Thanksgiving Day.”
The Funny Fox waved his long ears to and fro and went back to carve his turkey. He had just picked up his knife when “patter, patter, clitter, clatter,” went little feet, and “thump, thump,” went the knocker again, and a voice cried out,
“You’ll dislike the turkey like as not,
without potatoes smoking hot.”
The Funny Fox lashed his beautiful tail and said, “Someone is playing a joke on me.” He went back and carved one leg off the great, fat turkey and was just going to begin to eat his dinner when “Ting-a-ling” went the telephone, and he answered as a voice called,
“Don’t eat your turkey for by and by.
You can have some pumpkin pie.”
The voice went on and on, keeping the Funny Fox at the telephone, and he was annoyed, you may be sure.
When he got back to the little table, the turkey was gone, drumstick and all! He set up such a howl that the Bold Badger, who was going by, stopped in to see what was the matter. It was an hour and seventeen minutes before the Funny Fox stopped roaring.
The Bold Badger then said, “As tomorrow will be Thanksgiving Day, come and take dinner with me and bring Mrs. Fox and Freddie and Freda Fox.”
Mrs. Fox was pleased when she heard they were all invited and said, “A friend in need is a friend indeed.”
