Chaunticleer finished his stories and said,' My dear Pertelote, I feel better now. I'm not frightened. Let's fly down to the garden.'
The cock and his wife both flew down from the roof and Chaunticleer called all his hens to him. He felt like a king and he wasn't afraid.
It was a beautiful morning. When Chaunticleer sang, his voice sounded happy and strong. He happily told the world what time it was.
'Madam Pertelote,' he said, 'listen to the birds. They sound wonderful! And look at the flowers. They look lovely after their long winter's sleep. My love, my heart is full of
happiness.'
But then a terrible thing happened.
A fox lived in the little wood near the old woman's house. He came into the garden during the night and hid quietly behind the trees until it was midday.' That's the best time to catch poor Chaunticleer,' he thought to himself.
'Oh, Chaunticleer,' the nun's priest said, 'it was a bad day for you! You came down from your safe roof into the dangerous garden! You tried to forget your dream - but it was true!
' It was a mistake for Chaunticleer to listen to his wife. Women are often wrong. But I'm a nun's priest, so I mustn't say too much against women!'
Pertelote was sitting happily in the sun with all her sisters round her. Chaunticleer stood near them, singing loudly.
Then the cock heard a noise and turned quickly. There was the fox! He stopped singing immediately. He felt very, very frightened.
'Dear sir,' said the fox, 'why have you stopped singing? I'm your friend. I don't want to hurt you. You sing beautifully, like your mother and father. They've both been to my house. They were very kind to come. I was very happy to have them there.
'I've never heard anyone sing like your father on that morning. He shut his eyes and stood up tall. Now, please sir, can you sing for me like your father?'
Chaunticleer was very pleased to hear these words. He didn't understand the fox's true meaning. So he stood up tall, shut his eyes, and began to sing.
The fox suddenly caught Chaunticleer and threw him on his back. Then he ran with him towards the wood.
The hens saw the fox and made a terrible noise. Pertelote made the loudest noise. The old woman and her two daughters ran out of their house when they heard