It isn’t very pleasant to be dragged by your tail over bumps and stones, especially by such a person as Danny Fox. Teddy Turtle didn’t know what Danny Fox meant to do with him. If he had he would have been frightened to death.

You see, Danny Fox was hungry. Yes, siree, he was as hungry as three bears. He couldn’t get a chicken because the Henhouse door was locked and bolted. He couldn’t catch Little Jack Rabbit, for the little bunny was too bright for him. So there was nothing for him to do but take Teddy Turtle home with him. Mrs. Fox knew how to make Mock Turtle Soup, and that was better than nothing!

Now all this time Teddy Turtle was thinking mighty hard how to get away. Yes, sir, he was scheming how to get his tail inside his shell house once more.

As they came to the Old Duck Pond he said, “Dip me in the water, or I shall die of thirst!”

Of course Danny Fox didn’t want him to die right away, so he leaned over the bank and lowered Teddy Turtle into the water. But he put him in only a little bit of a way.

“Put me in deeper,” said Teddy Turtle, as Danny Fox was about to pull him out, “I only got a little swallow.”

So the old fox leaned ’way over the bank and dipped the little turtle ’way in till you couldn’t see him at all.

Then, of course, his tail got wet, and pretty soon it got so slippery that Danny Fox had to use both paws. And then the first thing Danny Fox knew the little turtle gave a wiggle and a jiggle and pulled his tail away, and with a splash that wet the old fox all over, he dived down to the bottom of the pond, where he was safe at home in the soft mud.

Danny Fox gave a snarl of disappointment, but the little turtle didn’t hear him; but he blew up a few bubbles to tease the hungry old robber.

“I don’t believe he’d have made good soup, anyway,” growled Danny Fox, wiping his feet on the grass, for they were covered with mud. Then, after wiping his eyes and face, he trotted off to the Shady Forest.

Now as soon as Teddy Turtle reached the bottom of the Old Duck Pond, he crawled along on the soft mud until he came to a little island, up which he crawled till he was once more out of the water.

“Ha, ha,” he said to himself as he saw Danny Fox far away on the mainland, “I fooled you this time, you old robber!”