Green Forest Stories · Chapter
The Hunter Loses His Temper explained
The hunter, hidden near Paddy the Beaver's pond, is pleased that Sammy Jay warned Mr.
What happens
The hunter, hidden near Paddy the Beaver's pond, is pleased that Sammy Jay warned Mr. and Mrs. Quack about Reddy Fox, as he wants the ducks for himself after hunting Lightfoot. However, Sammy Jay spots the hunter and his gun, and begins yelling 'Thief!', causing the hunter to lose his temper and realize his hiding place is compromised.
Themes in this chapter
Moral Ambiguity
The hunter considers it a shame for Reddy Fox to catch a duck for food, yet plans to kill the ducks for sport, highlighting a double standard.
Friendship and Cooperation
Sammy Jay warns the ducks about Reddy Fox, and the ducks express gratitude, showing mutual aid among the animals.
Characters to notice
- The Hunter
Hides near the pond, plans to shoot the ducks after getting Lightfoot, and loses his temper when discovered by Sammy Jay.
- Sammy Jay
Warns Mr. and Mrs. Quack about Reddy Fox, then spots the hunter and his gun, yelling 'Thief!' to expose him.
- Reddy Fox
Attempts to catch one of the ducks but is thwarted by Sammy Jay's warning.
- Mr. Quack
Thanks Sammy Jay for the warning about Reddy Fox.
- Mrs. Quack
Thanks Sammy Jay for the warning about Reddy Fox.
- Paddy the Beaver
His pond is the setting where the hunter hides.
Key passages
“Now when you come to think of it, it would have been a far greater shame for the hunter to have killed Mr. and Mrs. Quack than for Reddy Fox to have done so. Reddy was hunting them because he was hungry. The hunter would have shot them for sport. He didn't need them. He had plenty of other food. Reddy Fox doesn't kill just for the pleasure of killing.”
The narrator points out that the hunter's plan to shoot the ducks for sport is morally worse than Reddy Fox hunting them for food, since the fox kills only out of necessity.
Highlights the moral ambiguity theme, contrasting survival hunting with sport hunting.