XI: A Little Unpleasantness explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• Deception and Trust

  Reddy Fox is deceived by the apparent absence of Bowser, only to be surprised by Old Man Coyote's presence.

• Courage and Fear

  Reddy's boldness turns to fear when he encounters the unexpected growl, highlighting the thin line between courage and fear.

Characters to notice

• Reddy Fox

  Reddy plans to raid the henhouse, feeling safe without Bowser, but is frightened by Old Man Coyote.

• Old Man Coyote

  Old Man Coyote is at the henhouse gate, growling at Reddy and scaring him away.

• Bowser the Hound

  Bowser is absent from his house, leading Reddy to believe he is gone.

Key passages

• “Watch a Coyote most closely when it appears that he least needs watching.”

  Be most vigilant of a coyote when he seems least suspicious.

  This opening proverb warns against underestimating a coyote's cunning.

• “Never in his life had Reddy Fox visited Farmer Brown’s henhouse with quite such a comfortable feeling as he now had.”

  Reddy Fox had never felt so at ease approaching Farmer Brown's henhouse.

  Reddy's confidence stems from his belief that Bowser is absent.

• “His heart gave a leap of joy as he saw that the gate was not quite closed.”

  Reddy's heart jumped with excitement when he noticed the gate was slightly open.

  Reddy's joy at the open gate foreshadows his impending shock.

• “At once Reddy knew that it wasn’t Bowser the Hound, for it had a bushy tail, while Bowser’s was smooth.”

  Reddy immediately recognized the figure was not Bowser because its tail was bushy, unlike Bowser's smooth tail.

  Reddy uses the bushy tail to identify Old Man Coyote.