Kabanata Kabanata 68 · The Wolf and the Fox

. The Wolf and the Fox

The wolf had the fox with him, and whatsoever the wolf wished, that the

fox was compelled to do, for he was the weaker, and he would gladly

have been rid of his master. It chanced that once as they were going

through the forest, the wolf said, “Red-fox, get me something to eat,

or else I will eat thee thyself.” Then the fox answered, “I know a

farm-yard where there are two young lambs; if thou art inclined, we

will fetch one of them.” That suited the wolf, and they went thither,

and the fox stole the little lamb, took it to the wolf, and went away.

The wolf devoured it, but was not satisfied with one; he wanted the

other as well, and went to get it. As, however, he did it so awkwardly,

the mother of the little lamb heard him, and began to cry out terribly,

and to bleat so that the farmer came running there. They found the

wolf, and beat him so mercilessly, that he went to the fox limping and

howling. “Thou hast misled me finely,” said he; “I wanted to fetch the

other lamb, and the country folks surprised me, and have beaten me to a

jelly.” The fox replied, “Why art thou such a glutton?”

Next day they again went into the country, and the greedy wolf once

more said, “Red-fox, get me something to eat, or I will eat thee

thyself.” Then answered the fox, “I know a farm-house where the wife is

baking pancakes to-night; we will get some of them for ourselves.” They

went there, and the fox slipped round the house, and peeped and sniffed

about until he discovered where the dish was, and then drew down six

pancakes and carried them to the wolf. “There is something for thee to

eat,” said he to him, and then went his way. The wolf swallowed down

the pancakes in an instant, and said, “They make one want more,” and

went thither and tore the whole dish down so that it broke in pieces.

This made such a great noise that the woman came out, and when she saw

the wolf she called the people, who hurried there, and beat him as long

as their sticks would hold together, till with two lame legs, and

howling loudly, he got back to the fox in the forest. “How abominably

thou hast misled me!” cried he, “the peasants caught me, and tanned my

skin for me.” But the fox replied, “Why art thou such a glutton?”

On the third day, when they were out together, and the wolf could only

limp along painfully, he again said, “Red-fox, get me something to eat,

or I will eat thee thyself.” The fox answered, “I know a man who has

been killing, and the salted meat is lying in a barrel in the cellar;

we will get that.” Said the wolf, “I will go when thou dost, that thou

mayest help me if I am not able to get away.” “I am willing,” said the

fox, and showed him the by-paths and ways by which at length they

reached the cellar. There was meat in abundance, and the wolf attacked

it instantly and thought, “There is plenty of time before I need leave

off!” The fox liked it also, but looked about everywhere, and often ran

to the hole by which they had come in, and tried if his body was still

thin enough to slip through it. The wolf said, “Dear fox, tell me why

thou art running here and there so much, and jumping in and out?”

“I must see that no one is coming,” replied the crafty fellow. “Don’t

eat too much!” Then said the wolf, “I shall not leave until the barrel

is empty.” In the meantime the farmer, who had heard the noise of the

fox’s jumping, came into the cellar. When the fox saw him he was out of

the hole at one bound. The wolf wanted to follow him, but he had made

himself so fat with eating that he could no longer get through, but

stuck fast. Then came the farmer with a cudgel and struck him dead, but

the fox bounded into the forest, glad to be rid of the old glutton.