“So,whentheygottothetopofthehill,Brunoopenedthehamper:andhetookouttheBread,andtheApplesandtheMilk:andtheyate,andtheydrank. Andwhenthey’dfinishedtheMilk,andeatenhalftheBreadandhalftheApples,theLambsaid‘Oh,mypawsissosticky!Iwanttowashmypaws!’ AndtheLionsaid‘Well,godownthehill,andwashtheminthebrook,yonder.We’llwaitforyou!’” “Itnevercomedback!”Brunosolemnlywhisperedtome. ButSylvieoverheardhim.“You’renottowhisper,Bruno!Itspoilsthestory! AndwhentheLambhadbeengonealongtime,theLionsaidtoBruno‘DogoandseeafterthatsillylittleLamb!Itmusthavelostitsway.’AndBrunowentdownthehill. Andwhenhegottothebrook,hesawtheLambsittingonthebank. andwhoshouldbesittingbyitbutanoldFox!” “Don’tknowwhoshouldbesittingbyit,”Brunosaidthoughtfullytohimself.“AoldFoxweresittingbyit.” “AndtheoldFoxweresaying,”Sylviewenton,foronceconcedingthegrammaticalpoint. “‘Yes,mydear,you’llbeeversohappywithus,ifyou’llonlycomeandI’vegotthreelittleFoxesthere,andwedolovelambssodearly!’ AndtheLambsaid‘Butyounevereatthem,doyou,Sir?’AndtheFoxsaid‘Oh,no!eataLamb?Weneverdreamofdoingsuchathing!’ SotheLambsaid‘ThenI’llcomewithyou.Andofftheywent,handinhand.” “ThatFoxwerewellyextremelywicked,weren’tit?”saidBruno. “No,no!”saidSylvie,rathershockedatsuchviolentlanguage.“Itwasn’tquitesobadasthat!” “Well,Imean,itwasn’tnice,”thelittlefellowcorrectedhimself. “AndsoBrunowentbacktotheLion.‘Oh,comequick!’hesaid. ‘TheFoxhastakentheLambtohishousewithhim!I’msurehemeanstoeatit!’ AndtheLionsaid‘I’llcomeasquickaseverIcan!’Andtheytrotteddownthehill.” “DooothinkhecaughttheFox,MisterSir?”saidBruno.Ishookmyhead,notlikingtospeak:andSylviewenton. “Andwhentheygottothehouse,Brunolookedinatthewindow.AndtherehesawthethreelittleFoxessittingroundthetable,withtheircleanpinaforeson,andspoonsintheirhands—” “Spoonsintheirhands!”Brunorepeatedinanecstasyofdelight. “AndtheFoxhadgotagreatbigknife—allreadytokillthepoorlittleLamb—”(”Ooneedn’tbeflightened,MisterSir!”Brunoputin,inahastywhisper.) “Andjustashewasgoingtodoit,BrunoheardagreatROAR”(TherealBrunoputhishandintomine,andheldtight),“andtheLioncamebangthroughthedoor,andthenextmomentithadbittenofftheoldFox’shead! AndBrunojumpedinatthewindow,andwentleapingroundtheroom,andcryingout‘Hooray!Hooray!TheoldFoxisdead!TheoldFoxisdead!’” Brunogotupinsomeexcitement.“MayIdoitnow?”heenquired. Sylviewasquitedecidedonthispoint.“Waittillafterwards,”shesaid.“Thespeechescomenext,don’tyouknow?Youalwayslovethespeeches,don’tyou?” “Yes,Idoos,”saidBruno:andsatdownagain. “TheLion’sspeech.‘Now,yousillylittleLamb,gohometoyourmother,andneverlistentooldFoxesagain.Andbeverygoodandobedient.’” “TheLamb’sspeech.‘Oh,indeed,Sir,Iwill,Sir!’andtheLambwentaway.”(”Butooneedn’tgoaway!”Brunoexplained. “It’squitethenicestpart—what’scomingnow!”Sylviesmiled. Shelikedhavinganappreciativeaudience.) “TheLion’sspeechtoBruno.‘Now,Bruno,takethoselittleFoxeshomewithyou,andteachthemtobegoodobedientlittleFoxes! Notlikethatwickedoldthingthere,that’sgotnohead!’” (”Thathasn’tgotnohead,”Brunorepeated.) “Bruno’sspeechtotheLion.‘Oh,indeed,Sir,IwillSir!’AndtheLionwentaway.”(”Itgetsbettererandbetterer,now,”Brunowhisperedtome,“rightawaytotheend!”) “Bruno’sspeechtothelittleFoxes.‘Now,littleFoxes,you’regoingtohaveyourfirstlessoninbeinggood—I’mgoingtoputyouintothehamper,alongwiththeApplesandtheBread:andyou’renottoeattheApples:andyou’renottoeattheBread:andyou’renottoeatanything—tillwegettomyhouse:andthenyou’llhaveyoursupper.’” “ThelittleFoxes’speechtoBruno.ThelittleFoxessaidnothing. “SoBrunoputtheApplesintothehamper—andthelittleFoxes—andtheBread—”(”TheyhadpicnickedalltheMilk,”Brunoexplainedinawhisper)“—andhesetofftogotohishouse.” (”We’regettingneartheendnow,saidBruno.) “And,whenhehadgotalittleway,hethoughthewouldlookintothehamper,andseehowthelittleFoxesweregettingon.” “Soheopenedthedoor”saidBruno. “Oh,Bruno!”Sylvieexclaimed,“You’renottellingthestory! Soheopenedthedoor,andbehold,therewerenoApples! SoBrunosaid‘EldestlittleFox,haveyoubeeneatingtheApples?’ AndtheeldestlittleFoxsaidNonono,’”(ItisimpossibletogivethetoneinwhichSylvierepeatedthisrapidlittle‘Nonono!’ ThenearestIcancometoitistosaythatitwasmuchasifayoungandexcitedduckhadtriedtoquackthewords. Itwastooquickforaquack,andyettooharshtobeanythingelse.) “Thenhesaid‘SecondlittleFox,haveyoubeeneatingtheApples?’ AndthesecondlittleFoxsaid‘Nonono!’ Thenhesaid‘YoungestlittleFox,haveyoubeeneatingtheApples?’ AndtheyoungestlittleFoxtriedtosay‘Nonono!’ butitsmouthwassofull,itcouldn’t,anditonlysaid‘Wauch!Wauch!Wauch!’AndBrunolookedintoitsmouth.AnditsmouthwasfullofApples. AndBrunoshookhishead,andhesaid‘Ohdear,ohdear!WhatbadcreaturestheseFoxesare!’” Brunowaslisteningintently:and,whenSylviepausedtotakebreath,hecouldonlyjustgaspoutthewords“AbouttheBread?” “Yes,”saidSylvie,“theBreadcomesnext. Soheshutthedooragain;andhewentalittlefurther;andthenhethoughthe’djustpeepinoncemore.Andbehold,therewasnoBread!”“Whatdo‘behold’mean?”saidBruno.“Hush!”saidSylvie.) “AndhesaidEldestlittleFox,haveyoubeeneatingtheBread?’ AndtheeldestlittleFoxsaid‘Nonono!’ ‘SecondlittleFox,haveyoubeeneatingtheBread?’ AndthesecondlittleFoxonlysaid‘Wauch!Wauch!Wauch!’ AndBrunolookedintoitsmouth,anditsmouthwasfullofBread!’ (Itmighthavechokededit,”saidBruno.)“Sohesaid‘Ohdear,ohdear!WhatshallIdowiththeseFoxes?’ Andhewentalittlefurther”(”Nowcomesthemostinterestingpart,”Brunowhispered.) “AndwhenBrunoopenedthehamperagain,whatdoyouthinkhesaw?”(”OnlytwoFoxes!”Brunocriedinagreathurry.)“Youshouldn’ttellitsoquick.HoweverhedidseeonlytwoFoxes. Andhesaid‘EldestlittleFoxhaveyoubeeneatingtheyoungestlittleFox?’ AndtheeldestlittleFoxsaid‘Nonono!’ ‘SecondlittleFox,haveyoubeeneatingtheyoungestlittleFox?’ AndthesecondlittleFoxdiditsverybesttosay‘Nonono!’butitcouldonlysay‘Weuchk!Weuchk!Weuchk!’ AndwhenBrunolookedintoitsmouth,itwashalffullofBread,andhalffullofFox!’ (Brunosaidnothinginthepausethistime. Hewasbeginningtopantalittle,asheknewthecrisiswascoming.) “Andwhenhe’dgotnearlyhome,helookedoncemoreintothehamper,andhesaw—” “Only—”Brunobegan,butagenerousthoughtstruckhim,andhelookedatme.“Oomaysayit,thistime,MisterSir!”hewhispered. Itwasanobleoffer,butIwouldn’trobhimofthetreat. “Goon,Bruno,”Isaid,“yousayitmuchthebest.”“Only—but—one—Fox!”Brunosaidwithgreatsolemnity. “‘EldestlittleFox,’”Sylviesaid,droppingthenarrative-forminhereagerness,“‘you’vebeensogoodthatIcanhardlybelieveyou’vebeendisobedient:butI’mafraidyou’vebeeneatingyourlittlesister?’ AndtheeldestlittleFoxsaid‘Whihuauch!Whihuauch!’andthenitchoked. AndBrunolookedintoitsmouth,anditwasfull! (Sylviepausedtotakebreath,andBrunolaybackamongthedaisies,andlookedatmetriumphantly.“Isn’titgrand,MisterSir?”saidhe.Itriedhardtoassumeacriticaltone. “It’sgrand,”Isaid:“butitfrightensoneso! Oomaysitalittleclosertome,ifoolike,”saidBruno.) “AndsoBrunowenthome:andtookthehamperintothekitchen,andopenedit. Andhesaw—”Sylvielookedatme,thistime,asifshethoughtIhadbeenratherneglectedandoughttobeallowedoneguess,atanyrate. “Heca’n’tguess!”Brunocriedeagerly.“I‘fraidImusttellhim!Thereweren’tnuffininthehamper!” Ishiveredinterror,andBrunoclappedhishandswithdelight.‘Heisflightened,Sylvie!Telltherest!” “SoBrunosaid‘EldestlittleFox,haveyoubeeneatingyourself,youwickedlittleFox?’ Andtheeldestlittlefoxsaid‘Whihuauch!’ AndthenBrunosawtherewasonlyitsmouthinthehamper! Sohetookthemouth,andheopenedit,andshook,andshook! AndatlastheshookthelittleFoxoutofitsownmouth! Andthenhesaid‘Openyourmouthagain,youwickedlittlething!’Andheshook,andshook!AndheshookoutthesecondlittleFox!Andhesaid‘Nowopenyourmouth!’Andheshook,andshook! AndheshookouttheyoungestlittleFox,andalltheApples,andalltheBread! “AndthenBrunostoodthelittleFoxesupagainstthewall:andhemadethemalittlespeech. ‘Now,littleFoxes,you’vebegunverywickedly—andyou’llhavetobepunished. Firstyou’llgouptothenursery,andwashyourfaces,andputoncleanpinafores. Thenyou’llhearthebellringforsupper. Thenyou’llcomedown:andyouwo’n’thaveanysupper:butyou’llhaveagoodwhipping!Thenyou’llgotobed. Theninthemorningyou’llhearthebellringforbreakfast.Butyouwo’n’thaveanybreakfast!You’llhaveagoodwhipping!Thenyou’llhaveyourlessons. And,perhaps,ifyou’reverygood,whendinner-timecomes,you’llhavealittledinner,andnomorewhipping!’”(”Howverykindhewas!”IwhisperedtoBruno. “Middlingkind,”Brunocorrectedmegravely.) “SothelittleFoxesranuptothenursery. AndsoonBrunowentintothehall,andrangthebigbell.‘Tingle,tingle,tingle!Supper,supper,supper!’ DowncamethelittleFoxes,insuchahurryfortheirsupper!Cleanpinafores!Spoonsintheirhands! And,whentheygotintothedining-room,therewaseversuchawhitetable-clothonthetable! Buttherewasnothingonitbutabigwhip.Andtheyhadsuchawhipping!” (Iputmyhandkerchieftomyeyes,andBrunohastilyclimbeduponmykneeandstrokedmyface.“Onlyonemorewhipping,MisterSir!”hewhispered.“Don’tcrymorethanooca’n’thelp!”) “Andthenextmorningearly,Brunorangthebigbellagain.‘Tingle,tingle,tingle!Breakfast,breakfast,breakfast!’DowncamethelittleFoxes!Cleanpinafores!Spoonsintheirhands!Nobreakfast!Onlythebigwhip! Thencamelessons,”Sylviehurriedon,forIstillhadmyhandkerchieftomyeyes. “AndthelittleFoxeswereeversogood! Andtheylearnedtheirlessonsbackwards,andforwards,andupside-down. AndatlastBrunorangthebigbellagain.‘Tingle,tingle,tingle!Dinner,dinner,dinner! AndwhenthelittleFoxescamedown—”(”Hadtheycleanpinaforeson?”Brunoenquired.“Ofcourse!”saidSylvie.“Andspoons?”“Why,youknowtheyhad!”“Couldn’tbecertain,”saidBruno.)“—theycameasslowasslow!Andtheysaid‘Oh!There’llbenodinner!There’llonlybethebigwhip!’ But,whentheygotintotheroom,theysawthemostlovelydinner!”(“Buns?”criedBruno,clappinghishands.)“Buns,andcake,and—”(”—andjam?”saidBruno.) “Yes,jam—andsoup—and—”(”—andsugarplums!” Brunoputinoncemore;andSylvieseemedsatisfied.) “Andeverafterthat,theyweresuchgoodlittleFoxes! Theydidtheirlessonsasgoodasgold—andtheyneverdidwhatBrunotoldthemnotto—andtheyneverateeachotheranymoreandtheyneveratethemselves!” Thestorycametoanendsosuddenly,italmosttookmybreathaway;howeverIdidmybesttomakeaprettyspeechofthanks. “I’msureit’svery—very—verymuchso,I’msure!”Iseemedtohearmyselfsay. 
