In The Woods

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  "title": "In The Woods",
  "author": null,
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  "language": "en",
  "summary": "\"In The Woods\" is a short animal fable where Funny Fox and Bold Badger stumble upon a secret woodland meeting, only to stir up trouble with the Willful Wolf. When the Wolf throws down his gauntlet and demands a fight before the Lordly Lion, Funny Fox wriggles free with a cunning excuse. But the animals have had enough of his tricks and plan to unite — raising the question of whether even the cleverest fox can outrun a crowd. The Wise Old Owl's quiet observation adds a final, knowing sting.",
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    "“The Bold Badger says in greeting, ‘The animals all hold a meeting, so Funny Fox, come on, let’s go! Or their secrets we’ll not know!’",
    "The two animals went ‘trip, trap’ through the woods, and sure enough, they found a great group of animals talking as they sat in a circle.",
    "When the Willful Wolf saw the Funny Fox and Bold Badger appear, he took off his glove and threw it down, saying, ‘Here I throw down the gauntlet and command you to fight before the Lordly Lion, who will set the day and hour!’",
    "‘Softly, softly,’ said the Funny Fox. ‘My Lord, the King of Beasts, is ill with fever, and we will have to put off the fight.’",
    "Laughing, the Funny Fox and Bold Badger departed, but the animals all decided to go soon to the Lordly Lion and tell him of the tricks the Funny Fox played upon them.",
    "This was all very well until the Willful Wolf asked in a loud voice, ‘Who will be the first to make a complaint?’",
    "One by one, the animals slipped out of the circle, and the Willful Wolf was left all alone.",
    "He laughed until his old sides shook, and then rang a bell, at which all the animals returned.",
    "He said, ‘We will all tell our complaints, and I will head the list, so we will stand together against the Funny Fox.’",
    "‘All except the Bold Badger,’ said the Wise Old Owl, ‘and Aunty Ape and a few other friends.’",
    "The Willful Wolf laughed at the idea of the Funny Fox having friends, and the meeting broke up in high good humor. One of the animals said, ‘Birds of a feather flock together.'”",
    "Laura Rountree Smith was an American children's author active in the early twentieth century, known for playful, morally tinged stories featuring talking animals. \"In The Woods\" reflects her fondness for ensemble animal casts and wry folk wisdom, closing with the traditional proverb \"Birds of a feather flock together\" as its quiet punchline."
  ],
  "body_text": "“The Bold Badger says in greeting, ‘The animals all hold a meeting, so Funny Fox, come on, let’s go! Or their secrets we’ll not know!’\n\nThe two animals went ‘trip, trap’ through the woods, and sure enough, they found a great group of animals talking as they sat in a circle.\n\nWhen the Willful Wolf saw the Funny Fox and Bold Badger appear, he took off his glove and threw it down, saying, ‘Here I throw down the gauntlet and command you to fight before the Lordly Lion, who will set the day and hour!’\n\n‘Softly, softly,’ said the Funny Fox. ‘My Lord, the King of Beasts, is ill with fever, and we will have to put off the fight.’\n\nLaughing, the Funny Fox and Bold Badger departed, but the animals all decided to go soon to the Lordly Lion and tell him of the tricks the Funny Fox played upon them.\n\nThis was all very well until the Willful Wolf asked in a loud voice, ‘Who will be the first to make a complaint?’\n\nOne by one, the animals slipped out of the circle, and the Willful Wolf was left all alone.\n\nHe laughed until his old sides shook, and then rang a bell, at which all the animals returned.\n\nHe said, ‘We will all tell our complaints, and I will head the list, so we will stand together against the Funny Fox.’\n\n‘All except the Bold Badger,’ said the Wise Old Owl, ‘and Aunty Ape and a few other friends.’\n\nThe Willful Wolf laughed at the idea of the Funny Fox having friends, and the meeting broke up in high good humor. One of the animals said, ‘Birds of a feather flock together.'”\n\nLaura Rountree Smith was an American children's author active in the early twentieth century, known for playful, morally tinged stories featuring talking animals. \"In The Woods\" reflects her fondness for ensemble animal casts and wry folk wisdom, closing with the traditional proverb \"Birds of a feather flock together\" as its quiet punchline.",
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