Green Meadow Stories · Chapter
Where Was Reddy’s Dinner? explained
Reddy Fox returns to the hollow stump where he had hidden a stolen fat hen, only to find it gone without a trace.
What happens
Reddy Fox returns to the hollow stump where he had hidden a stolen fat hen, only to find it gone without a trace. Despite his cleverness and keen sense of smell, he can find no scent of the farmer or any other creature except Bowser the Hound. Puzzled and uneasy, Reddy decides not to dwell on the mystery and instead plans to catch another hen. However, when he reaches the farmyard, he finds that all the hens have been shut up in the henhouse, foiling his plans. Disappointed, he trots off into the woods.
Themes in this chapter
Deception and Trust
The mysterious disappearance of the hen challenges Reddy's understanding and trust in his own senses, highlighting the theme of deception and the limits of cleverness.
Wisdom and Heedlessness
Reddy shows wisdom by not dwelling on the unsolvable mystery and instead moving on to find another meal, but his heedlessness in assuming he could easily steal again is thwarted by the farmer's precautions.
Characters to notice
- Reddy Fox
Reddy is puzzled and frustrated when the fat hen he hid disappears mysteriously. He uses his sharp wits and keen nose to investigate but finds no clues, then discovers the farmyard hens are locked away.
- Bowser the Hound
Bowser's scent is detected by Reddy around the stump, but Reddy knows Bowser did not take the hen because he was chasing Reddy at the time.
- Farmer Brown
The farmer is mentioned as having followed Bowser to the swamp edge and then returned. He has shut up the hens in the henhouse to prevent further theft.
Key passages
“Often it is better to look for a new trail than to waste time hunting for an old one.”
Sometimes it's wiser to start fresh rather than keep searching for something that's lost.
This opening proverb sets the tone for Reddy's decision to stop puzzling over the missing hen and seek another meal.
“Reddy began to feel afraid of that old stump. People usually are afraid of mysterious things, and it certainly was very mysterious that a fat hen with a broken neck should disappear without leaving any trace at all.”
Reddy grew uneasy around the stump because the hen's disappearance was so inexplicable, and mysterious events naturally cause fear.
Highlights Reddy's superstitious fear of the unknown, a common human reaction.
“But Reddy is something of a philosopher. That fat hen was gone, and there was no use in wasting time puzzling over it.”
Reddy is practical and doesn't waste time on things he can't change.
Shows Reddy's pragmatic and philosophical side, accepting loss and moving on.