In Which They Out-Fox a Fox

"Greetings, young sirs!" A refined voice spoke, "What a fine morning it is!"

The two friends turned.

"Hello, Sly" Said Gorden, flexing his leg muscles. "Didn't see you there.."

"People don't often". Said Sly, "Well, most people only don't once." He smiled a smile full of sharp teeth. "I hear you have been made redundant

from the Mashed-potato fields. It's a terrible thing to be unemployed, but, believe you me, whilst your careers may be over you are far from useless."

"Yes, "squeaked David, "How so?"

"I've never regarded *anyone* lower in the food-chain as being entirely useless" Sly smiled that smile again.

"Don't bother inviting us to dinner, Sly" Gorden said, trying to find his backbone, "Last one to fall for that was the Duck, and she was a few feathers short of an Eiderdown."

"My dear boys," the fox began "I wouldn't dream of such tactics with yourselves. Lets face the truth, dears, you arn't the hundred metres champion of the animal kingdom..."

"Lets face the truth whiskers," Gorden said, fingering the end of the Hedgehogs Staff. "If you had two legs instead of four people would just call you a Ginger twat."

Sly's eyes turned into slits and his bushy tail began to wag slowly.

"I think we should be going," David whispered to Gorden,"Now... Please"

Gorden stood solid.

Sly's mouth opened wide and he lunged at Gorden. Gorden grabbed the end of the staff and swung it at the fox, putting his whole body behind it because of the weight of the staff. But this time the staff was a light as a feather and came crashing down on Sly's nose.

With a great flash and a shower of sparks the fox was knocked back. Sly quickly turned his heels and raced off into the distance.

He could be heard whining "by dose, ny dose hurds" as he sped off.

"What did you do?" Asked David.

"Showed him what's what." Gorden was full of himself, "I mean," he said, with a pause, "I *am* the chosen one, you know"