Mr. Knox. Now come now. Come now. You don't have to be so dumb now… (41.1-4)
We assume Fox uses dumb as a way to signify the inability to speak and is in no way dissing Knox's intelligence. "We assume" being the key words there.
Quote #5
Now wait a minute, Mr. Socks Fox! (55.1-3)
Knox stands up for himself. This is the first page in the book with an illustration not showing Fox smile. Consider the tables turned.