Tod looks out a partially open window, seeming rather sad. The widow is cooking something on the stove.

"Poor little tyke. It's a shame I have to keep him cooped up," she sighs sadly.

Tod walks over to the door and scratches at it. He then looks at the widow sadly.

"Tod, stop looking at me like that. It's not my fault, you know. You caused a lot of trouble yesterday."

Tod hears the sound of a dog barking. He scrambles up a chair and looks back out the window.

Widow glares and stops what she was doing. "Oh, now what are they up to?!"

She heads over to the window. "Huh! Why it looks like Amos is goin' on a huntin' trip."

She sees Amos loading up things onto his car.

"A long one from the looks of it. Hmph. Well good riddance."

She heads back to her stove.

Tod stays and continues to stare out the window, a look of sadness coming to his face. He glances back at Widow Tweed. She's busy at her stove. Tod secretly squeezes his body through the window and runs towards the other farm.

Meanwhile, Amos was trying to get his car started.

"Dog gone meddlin' female! Shootin' up my radiator!"

The car backfires.

"Dad blame it!" He kicks the car. "Get goin'!"

The car motors smoothly.

"Well. That's more like it. Keep runnin' old girl."

He heads over to Copper, who is tied up to his barrel and howling anxiously.

"Well, Copper. Me and old Chief are gonna teach you all about huntin'. Yes sir. And it's about time, too."

"Woof!" Copper barks.

Amos laughs. "That-a boy! Heh heh!"

He unties Copper.

"You're really gonna like trackin' down those varmints for me."

Copper barks and runs around excitedly. He then heads over to the car and hops in the front seat.

"Uh uh! Get in the back, half pint. You gotta earn your right to sit up front," Chief says proudly.

Copper stops and thinks. Then he excitedly hops in the back. Amos comes along, carrying his gun. "Well boys. We're gettin' outta here 'til next spring."

Tod appears from around a barrel and watches the car leave. As the car pulls out onto the road, Copper looks back. Seeing Tod there, he lets out a long, sad howl as the car disappears into the distance.

Big Mama suddenly floats down and lands next to Tod.

Big Mama: Tod. Honey? What are you doin' over here?

Tod looks towards the place where his friend had been sadly. "Gee. I just wanted to say goodbye to Copper. But I'm too late."

"Well what did you plan to do if you ran into old Chief?"

Tod frowns then shruggs, confident. "Aw Chief. I can outfox that dumb old dog any time."

Big Mama rolls her eyes.

"Tod! Now hold it just one minute! Didn't you learn anything yesterday? Now you listen good, Tod. Because it's either education or elimination!"

Tod looks at her in a confused manner.

"Now if you're so foxy and old Chief's so dumb, then why does the hound get the fox on the run? Because he's got the hunter, and the hunter's got the gun. Kablam! Elimination. Lack of Education.

Big Mama flies up and lands on a fence.

"If you pal around with that Copper hound, you'll wind up hangin' on the wall. Keep your nose to the wind, and you'll keep your skin. 'Cause you won't be home when the hunter comes to call!"

"Oh Big Mama. I know Copper would never track me down. Why old Copper, he's my best friend!"

"Ho ho! You're best friend! Now Copper's gonna do what he's been told. Suppose to chase a little fox into an old foxhole. Then along comes a hunter with a buckshot load. . ."

Boomer, sitting up in a tree, imitates carrying a gun.

"Ka-ka-kablam!"

Dinky acts out being shot.

"Elimination!" Dinky falls to the ground. "Lack of Education."

Big Mama gives the young fox a stern look. "You'd better believe it, Tod. Yes sirree."

"You mean Copper's gonna be my enemy?!"

Dinky gets up. "Hey kid! You'd better step over here and take a good look."

Dinky and Boomer fly over to some kind of shed and push it open. Inside are many different kinds of fur skins. A look of horror forms on Tod's face.

"W. . . why that's awful! Those poor things."

Tod's horror turns to sadness.

Big Mama looks at him, a little guilty. "I'm sorry, Tod."

She hugs him.

"Honey. Copper's gonna come back a trained huntin' dog. A real killer."

Tod looks up at Big Mama. "Oh no. Not my friend Copper. He won't ever change."

Big Mama sighs. "I hope you're right, Tod."

"And we'll keep on being friends forever. Won't we, Big Mama?"

She puts him down.

"Darlin'. Forever is a long, long time. And time has a way of changin' things."

Tod looks back at the barrels.

….The leaves start to fall and the season slowly changes to hard winter.

On a patch of snow, Squeeks slowly crawls out of the snow. A cold wind blows, and he starts to shiver. He then looks over and spots the widow's house. He crawls in its direction.

Dinky and Boomer are inside and old, makeshift scarecrow. They cower inside the coat, freezing a they brave the harsh winter winds.

Dinky shivers. "Jiminy. It sure turned cold!"

"I'm freezin' my b-b-b. . ."

"Hey! It's that fuzzy worm!" Dinky points. "Let's get him. Charge!"

Squeeks sees them coming. "Aah!"

Squeeks tries to dive into a snow bank but hits his head on something. He dives in again and succeeds. Dinky and Boomer dive in after him.

Boomer speaks from inside the snow. "Hey Dinky! Dinky quick! Over here!"

Boomer lifts his head out of the snow. Something is in his beak.

"I got him! I got him!"

He pulls out something wrapped in snow and the snow falls away.

It's Dinky.

"Do I look like worm?" He points. "That's who we're after!"

Squeeks crawls up the door and disappears into the keyhole.

"Come on!"

They fly up to the keyhole and perch on a shovel. Dinky peers inside. Squeeks is warming himself by the stove.

Dinky glowered at him. "Look at that little creep. Warm and cozy by the fire."

"Let me take a look!" Boomer looks into the keyhole.

"Now how do you like that g-g-guy?! Snug as a bug!"

Squeeks pulls a sock over his body and lies down in a plant pot.

Boomer snorts. "While we're out here freezin' our b-b-beaks off!"

"Brr. Well yakin' and shiverin' ain't gettin' us anywhere. We'll get that no good worm when we come back!" Dinky takes off.

"Ooh sh-sh-shucks!"

Boomer flies off too and they fly over to Big Mama's tree.

Dinky nods as he passes. "So long, Big Mama."

"Yeah. We're goin' south for the winter."

Big Mama looks after them fondly. "Goodbye boys! See you next spring!"