Железный человек
The Return of the Iron Man
Hethoughthecouldusethathole,totrapafox. Hefoundadeadhenoneday,andthrewitoutontotheloosesoiloverthetrap. Thentowardsevening,heclimbedatreenearby,andwaited. Alongtimehewaited. Astarcameout. Hecouldhearthesea.
Then–there,standingattheedgeofthehole,wasafox.Abig,redfox,lookingtowardsthedeadhen. Hogarthstoppedbreathing. Andthefoxstoodwithoutmoving–sniff,sniff,sniff,outtowardsthehen.Buthedidnotstepoutontothetrap. Slowly,hewalkedaroundthewidepatchofrawsoiltillhegotbacktowherehe’dstarted,sniffingallthetimeouttowardsthebird. Buthedidnotstepoutontothetrap.Washetoosmarttowalkouttherewhereitwasnotsafe?
Butatthatmomenthestoppedsniffing.Heturnedhisheadandlookedtowardsthetopofthecliff. Hogarth,wonderingwhatthefoxhadseen,lookedtowardsthetopofthecliff.
There,enormousintheblueeveningsky,stoodtheIronMan,onthebrinkofthecliff,gazinginland.
Inamoment,thefoxhadvanished.
Nowwhat?
Hogarthcarefullyquietlyhardlybreathingclimbedslowlydownthetree. Hemustgethomeandtellhisfather. Butatthebottomofthetreehestopped. HecouldnolongerseetheIronManagainstthetwilightsky. Hadhegonebackoverthecliffintothesea? Orwashecomingdownthehill,inthedarknessunderthathighskyline,towardsHogarthandthefarms?
