32 lines
2.1 KiB
Text
32 lines
2.1 KiB
Text
The Wolf and the Man
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Once on a time the fox was talking to the wolf of the strength of man;
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how no animal could withstand him, and how all were obliged to employ
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cunning in order to preserve themselves from him. Then the wolf
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answered, “If I had but the chance of seeing a man for once, I would
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set on him notwithstanding.” “I can help thee to do that,” said the
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fox. “Come to me early to-morrow morning, and I will show thee one.”
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The wolf presented himself betimes, and the fox took him out on the
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road by which the huntsmen went daily. First came an old discharged
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soldier. “Is that a man?” inquired the wolf. “No,” answered the fox,
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“that was one.” Afterwards came a little boy who was going to school.
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“Is that a man?” “No, that is going to be one.” At length came a hunter
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with his double-barrelled gun at his back, and hanger by his side. Said
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the fox to the wolf, “Look, there comes a man, thou must attack him,
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but I will take myself off to my hole.” The wolf then rushed on the
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man. When the huntsman saw him he said, “It is a pity that I have not
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loaded with a bullet,” aimed, and fired his small shot in his face. The
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wolf pulled a very wry face, but did not let himself be frightened, and
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attacked him again, on which the huntsman gave him the second barrel.
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The wolf swallowed his pain, and rushed on the huntsman, but he drew
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out his bright hanger, and gave him a few cuts with it right and left,
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so that, bleeding everywhere, he ran howling back to the fox. “Well,
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brother wolf,” said the fox, “how hast thou got on with man?” “Ah!”
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replied the wolf, “I never imagined the strength of man to be what it
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is! First, he took a stick from his shoulder, and blew into it, and
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then something flew into my face which tickled me terribly; then he
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breathed once more into the stick, and it flew into my nose like
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lightning and hail; when I was quite close, he drew a white rib out of
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his side, and he beat me so with it that I was all but left lying
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dead.” “See what a braggart thou art!” said the fox. “Thou throwest thy
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hatchet so far that thou canst not fetch it back again!”
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