Solomon and Fatty Coon couldn't help laughing at what Tommy Fox said to them, as they sat in their tree near the , looking down at him in the moonlight.  
“I'm here to watch Farmer Green's chickens for him—” said he—“to see that no rat—or anybody else—runs away with a pullet.”
 
 
“Farmer Green has someone else watching for him to-night,” said Solomon Owl, when he had stopped laughing. “There's that strange man! You can see how he keeps his glaring eyes on the chicken house. And unless I'm mistaken, he's on the for you.”
 
“No such thing!” Tommy Fox snapped. And he looked up at Solomon as if he wished that he could climb the tree.
 
“Here comes somebody else!” Fatty Coon exclaimed suddenly. His keen eyes had caught sight of Jimmy Rabbit, along on his way to the vegetable garden, to see if he couldn't find a stray cabbage or a .
 
Solomon Owl called to him. Whereupon, Jimmy Rabbit sat up and looked at the odd trio. If it hadn't been for Tommy Fox he would have nearer.
 
“Do you know that stranger?” Solomon Owl asked him, pointing out the horrible head to Jimmy.
 
“I haven't the pleasure,” said Jimmy Rabbit, after he had taken a good look.
 
“Well,” said Solomon, “won't you speak to him; and ask him to go away?”
 
“Certainly!” answered Jimmy Rabbit, who always tried to be obliging.
 
“I hope the stranger won't eat him,” remarked Tommy Fox, “because I hope to do that some day, myself.”
 
It was queer—but Jimmy Rabbit was the only one of the four that wasn't afraid of those glaring features. He straight up to the big round head, which was just a bit higher than one of the fence posts, against which the stranger seemed to be leaning. And after a moment or two Jimmy Rabbit called to Solomon and Fatty and Tommy Fox:
 
“He won't go away! He's going to stay right where he is!”
 
“Come here a m............