into the ground in Farmer Green's door-yard. Then Johnnie Green set a
big wooden box close beside the stake. He tipped the box over on its
side, and threw some straw into it. And that was Tommy Fox's new home.

You might think that it was a much nicer home than he had before. But
Tommy did not like it at all. All the people on the farm came and
looked at him, inside the box; and Johnnie Green never left him for
more than ten minutes all the rest of that day.

Tommy made up his mind that he would make a house of his own. And that
very night he dug a hole in Farmer Green's dooryard, where he could
crawl out of sight of everyone. Tommy liked that much better. No
matter how hard Johnnie Green pulled on the chain, he couldn't drag
Tommy out unless he wanted to come.

But after a few days Tommy began to get used to being a pet. He found
that it was not such a terrible thing, after all. He did miss the fine
runs he used to have; and the hunts; and he missed his mother, too. He
could hear her often, at night, calling to him from the fields. And
then Tommy would answer, and tug at his chain. But he couldn't get
away. And after a while he would go to sleep and dream pleasant
dreams, about catching crickets in the long grass.




XIV

TOMMY FOX MAKES A STRANGE FRIEND