The Race

Now there began a desperate  race, the machines against the foxes. In the beginning, the hill looked like a hill. After about an hour, as the machines bit away more and more soil from the hilltop, it looked like a big hole.

Sometimes the foxes would gain a little ground and the clanking  noises would grow fainter and Mr. Fox would say, "We're going to make it! I'm sure we are !"

But then a few moments later, the machines would come back at them and the crunch of the mighty  shovels would get louder. Once the foxes actually saw the sharp metal edge of one of the shovels as it scraped  up the earth just behind them.