Little Sister Fox and Brother Wolf

 

There was once an old man and woman. One day the old man told his wife, "Bake some pies, old woman, while I go fishing."

He caught his fish and was taking a cartful home. On the way he suddenly spied a fox lying on the path. So he climbed down from the cart and went over to the fox: she was lying there as stiff as the dead. "That'll make my wife a fine present," said the old man, as he took hold of the fox and put her on his cart. Then he walked on in front. The crafty fox seized her chance and began quietly to drop the fish, one by one, from the cart until the cart was empty. Then she jumped down while the cart trundled on. Presently the old man drove into his yard and called to his wife, "Hey, old woman, come and see what a splendid collar I've brought for your winter coat." "Where is it?" she asked. "There, in the cart—fish and a fur collar." The old woman went to the cart: but there was neither collar nor fish, and she began to curse her husband, "Oh, you old nincompoop! Daft so-and-so! You and your stupid tricks!" Then the old man realised that the fox had not been dead after all; he moaned and groaned, but there was nothing to be done.

The fox picked up all the fish she had thrown onto the track and sat down to have a good meal. While she was dining, a wolf chanced by. "Hello, Sister." "Hello, Brother." "Give me some fish." "Go and catch some yourself," said the fox. "If only I knew how," replied the wolf. "Bless me," sighed the fox, "there's nothing to it. Listen, Brother, go down to the river, drop your tail through the ice and the fish will come and hang on it. But be patient or you won't catch anything."

So the wolf went down to the river, let his tail through the ice and waited. He squatted like that all night long. By morning his tail was frozen stiff. When he tried to rise, he found he was stuck. "Fancy that," he thought, "I've caught so many fish I cannot pull them all out!" Then he saw some village women coming for water. Catching sight of the grey beast, they began to scream, "Wolf, wolf! Kill him! Kill him!" They set about the wolf with whatever came to hand: pails, yokes, pots and sticks. The wolf tugged himself free and raced off, leaving his tail stuck in the ice. "I'll get even with you, Sister Fox," he thought.

Meanwhile, Sister Fox, full of fish, was up to her tricks again: she crept into a cottage where the women were frying pancakes, fell headlong into the bucket and fled covered with batter. Then she met the wolf. "You and your tricks! I got a good hiding because of you." "Oh, Brother Wolf," said Sister Fox, "they only made you bleed, but I've had the stuffing knocked out of me! I am far worse off than you: I can barely drag myself along." "That's true," said the wolf. "Sit on my back, Sister Fox, and I'll carry you home." The crafty fox mounted the wolf's back and off they went. She sat there saying quietly to herself, "The thrashed is carrying the thrasher; the thrashed is carrying the thrasher." "What's that you said, Sister Fox?" asked the wolf. "Oh, Brother Wolf, I was only saying: the thrashed is carrying the thrashed." "Yes, indeed, Sister Fox."

"Let's build ourselves a house each, Brother Wolf." "All right, Sister Fox," the wolf replied. "I'll build myself a house of wood," she said, "and you build a house of ice." So they set to work, made their houses and lived in them until spring came, when the wolf's house melted right away. "Aha, Sister Fox," said the wolf, "you've tricked me again. I shall eat you for that." "Wait, Brother Wolf, Jet's have a contest to see who will eat whom." Sister Fox led him into the forest to a deep hole and said, "If you can jump across the hole you'll eat me, but if you can't I'll eat you." The wolf jumped and fell into the hole. "Right," said the fox, "you can sit there and stew." And off she went.

Sister Fox was going along with a rolling-pin in her paws. She came to a peasant's cottage, knocked at the door and said, "Please, let Sister Fox in for the night." "We have no room for ourselves." "I'll be no trouble. I'll lie on the bench with my tail beneath it and my rolling-pin under the stove." So they let her in. She lay down on the bench, tucking her tail beneath it and her rolling-pin under the stove. Early next morning the fox got up, burned her rolling-pin and then asked, "Who's taken my rolling-pin? I wouldn't trade it for a goose!" What could the poor peasant do? He gave her a goose for the rolling-pin and off she went singing:

"Little Sister Fox was going along the road,
Carrying a rolling-pin, hee-hee;
Then she had a goo-oo-sie,
But now she has a goo-oo-sie."

Knock! Knock! Knock! She rapped at the door of another peasant's cottage. "Who's there?" came a voice. "It's me, Sister Fox; please let me in for the night."

"We have no room for ourselves." "I'll be no trouble," she said, "I'll lie on the bench, with my tail beneath it and my goose under the stove." So they let her in. She lay herself down on the bench, tucking her tail beneath it and her goose under the stove. Early next morning she jumped up, seized the goose, wrung its neck, ate it and said, "Who's taken my goose? I wouldn't trade it for a turkey!" What could the poor peasant do? He gave her a turkey for the goose and off she went singing:

"Little Sister Fox was going along the road,
Carrying a rolling-pin, hee-hee;
Then she had a goo-oo-sie,
But now she has a tur-ur-key."

Knock. Knock. Knock! She rapped at the door of a third cottage. "Who's there?" came a voice. "It's me, Sister Fox. Please let me in for the night." "We have no room for ourselves." "I'll be no trouble. I'll lie on the bench, with my tail beneath it and my turkey under the stove." So they let her in. And she lay down on the bench, tucking her tail beneath it and her turkey under the stove. Early next morning she leapt up, seized the turkey, wrung its neck, ate it and asked, "Who's taken my turkey? I wouldn't trade it for your son's wife!" What could the poor man do? He gave her his son's wife for the turkey; the fox put her in a sack and went on her way singing:

"Little Sister Fox was going along the road,
Carrying a rolling-pin, hee-hee;
Then she had a goo-oo-sie;
Then she had a tur-ur-key;
But now she has a gir-ir-lie!"

Knock. Knock. Knock! She rapped at the door of a fourth cottage. "Who's there?" came a voice. "It's me, Sister Fox. Please let me in for the night." "We have no room for ourselves." "I'll be no trouble. I'll lie on the bench, with my tail beneath it and my sack under the stove." So they let her in. She lay down on the bench, tucking her tail beneath it and her sack under the stove.
But in the night the peasant set the girl free and put his dog in the sack instead. Early next morning Sister Fox woke up and made ready to leave. Picking up her sack she went on her way, and said, "Sing us a song, my dear!" The dog began to growl. The fox took fright, dropped the sack and fled.

Sister Fox was running along, when she saw a cock sitting upon a gate-post. "Good morrow, my son," she said. "You've got seventy wives, yet not once have you been to confession, you sinner. Come down here and I will absolve you."

The cock flew down, and she seized him and gobbled him up.