Suddenly Badger said, "Doesn't this worry you just a tiny bit, Foxy?"
"Worry me?" said Mr. Fox. "What?"
"All this . . . this stealing."
Mr. Fox stopped digging and stared at Badger as though he had gone completely dotty. "My dear old furry frump," he said, "do you know anyone in the whole world who wouldn't swipe a few chickens if his children were starving to death?"
There was a short silence while Badger thought deeply about this.
"You are far too respectable," said Mr. Fox.
"There's nothing wrong with being respectable," Badger said.
"Look," said Mr. Fox, "Boggis and Bunce and Bean are out to kill us. You realize that, I hope?"
"I do, Foxy, I do indeed," said the gentle Badger.
"But we're not going to stoop to their level. We don't want to kill them."
"I should hope not, indeed," said Badger.
"We wouldn't dream of it," said Mr. Fox. "We shall simply take a little food here and there to keep us and our families alive. Right?"
"I suppose we'll have to," said Badger.
"If they want to be horrible, let them," said Mr. Fox. "We down here are decent peace-loving people."
Badger laid his head on one side and smiled at Mr. Fox. "Foxy," he said, "I love you."
"Thank you," said Mr. Fox. "And now let's get on with the digging."
Roald Dahl, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Illustrated by Quentin Blake, New York: Puffin Books, 1970/1998, pp. 58-60, original emphasis
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