Another young heiress in the neighbourhood might be a formidable rival.

"But is this griffiness handsome ?" said she.
"Handsome!" cried the pie; "oh, if you could have seen the father!--such a mouth, such eyes, such a complexion; and he declares she's the living picture of himself! But what do you say, Mr.Reynard,--you, who have been so much in the world, have, perhaps, seen the young lady ?" "Why, I can't say I have," answered the fox, waking from a revery; "but she must be wonderfully rich.

I dare say that fool the dog will be making up to her." "Ah, by the way," said the pie, "what a fuss he made at your door yesterday; why would you not admit him, my dear ?" "Oh," said the cat, demurely, "Mr.Reynard says that he is a dog of very bad character, quite a fortune-hunter; and hiding the most dangerous disposition to bite under an appearance of good nature.

I hope he won't be quarrelsome with you, dear Reynard!" "With me?
Oh, the poor wretch, no!--he might bluster a little; but he knows that if I'm once angry I'm a devil at biting;--one should not boast of oneself." In the evening Reynard felt a strange desire to go and see the griffin smoking his pipe; but what could he do?
There was the dog under the opposite tree evidently watching for him, and Reynard had no wish to prove himself that devil at biting which he declared he was.

At last he resolved to have recourse to stratagem to get rid of the dog.
A young buck of a rabbit, a sort of provincial fop, had looked in upon his cousin the cat, to pay her his respects, and Reynard, taking him aside, said, "You see that shabby-looking dog under the tree?
He has behaved very ill to your cousin the cat, and you certainly ought to challenge him.