58 lines
3.7 KiB
Text
58 lines
3.7 KiB
Text
The Wolf and the Fox
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The wolf had the fox with him, and whatsoever the wolf wished, that the
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fox was compelled to do, for he was the weaker, and he would gladly
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have been rid of his master. It chanced that once as they were going
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through the forest, the wolf said, “Red-fox, get me something to eat,
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or else I will eat thee thyself.” Then the fox answered, “I know a
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farm-yard where there are two young lambs; if thou art inclined, we
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will fetch one of them.” That suited the wolf, and they went thither,
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and the fox stole the little lamb, took it to the wolf, and went away.
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The wolf devoured it, but was not satisfied with one; he wanted the
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other as well, and went to get it. As, however, he did it so awkwardly,
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the mother of the little lamb heard him, and began to cry out terribly,
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and to bleat so that the farmer came running there. They found the
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wolf, and beat him so mercilessly, that he went to the fox limping and
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howling. “Thou hast misled me finely,” said he; “I wanted to fetch the
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other lamb, and the country folks surprised me, and have beaten me to a
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jelly.” The fox replied, “Why art thou such a glutton?”
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Next day they again went into the country, and the greedy wolf once
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more said, “Red-fox, get me something to eat, or I will eat thee
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thyself.” Then answered the fox, “I know a farm-house where the wife is
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baking pancakes to-night; we will get some of them for ourselves.” They
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went there, and the fox slipped round the house, and peeped and sniffed
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about until he discovered where the dish was, and then drew down six
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pancakes and carried them to the wolf. “There is something for thee to
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eat,” said he to him, and then went his way. The wolf swallowed down
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the pancakes in an instant, and said, “They make one want more,” and
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went thither and tore the whole dish down so that it broke in pieces.
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This made such a great noise that the woman came out, and when she saw
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the wolf she called the people, who hurried there, and beat him as long
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as their sticks would hold together, till with two lame legs, and
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howling loudly, he got back to the fox in the forest. “How abominably
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thou hast misled me!” cried he, “the peasants caught me, and tanned my
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skin for me.” But the fox replied, “Why art thou such a glutton?”
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On the third day, when they were out together, and the wolf could only
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limp along painfully, he again said, “Red-fox, get me something to eat,
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or I will eat thee thyself.” The fox answered, “I know a man who has
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been killing, and the salted meat is lying in a barrel in the cellar;
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we will get that.” Said the wolf, “I will go when thou dost, that thou
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mayest help me if I am not able to get away.” “I am willing,” said the
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fox, and showed him the by-paths and ways by which at length they
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reached the cellar. There was meat in abundance, and the wolf attacked
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it instantly and thought, “There is plenty of time before I need leave
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off!” The fox liked it also, but looked about everywhere, and often ran
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to the hole by which they had come in, and tried if his body was still
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thin enough to slip through it. The wolf said, “Dear fox, tell me why
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thou art running here and there so much, and jumping in and out?”
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“I must see that no one is coming,” replied the crafty fellow. “Don’t
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eat too much!” Then said the wolf, “I shall not leave until the barrel
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is empty.” In the meantime the farmer, who had heard the noise of the
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fox’s jumping, came into the cellar. When the fox saw him he was out of
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the hole at one bound. The wolf wanted to follow him, but he had made
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himself so fat with eating that he could no longer get through, but
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stuck fast. Then came the farmer with a cudgel and struck him dead, but
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the fox bounded into the forest, glad to be rid of the old glutton.
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