The Fox, the Hare and the Rooster
Once there lived a fox and a hare. The fox had a little hut of ice, and the hare had a hut of bast bark. When lovely spring arrived, the fox’s hut melted, but…
Once there lived a fox and a hare. The fox had a little hut of ice, and the hare had a hut of bast bark. When lovely spring arrived, the fox’s hut melted, but the hare’s stood just as before. The fox asked to come in and warm herself, then drove the hare out. The little hare was walking down the road, weeping, when some dogs came towards him.
“Yap, yap, yap! What are you crying about, little hare?”
The hare said:
“Leave me alone, dogs! How can I help crying? I had a hut of bast bark, and the fox had one of ice. She asked to come into mine, then drove me out.”
“Don’t cry, little hare!” said the dogs. “We’ll drive her out.”
“No, you won’t!”
“Yes, we will!”
They came up to the hut.
“Yap, yap, yap! Out you go, fox!”
From the stove, she answered:
“Just wait till I leap out, till I jump out — bits of you will fly down every lane!”
The dogs were frightened and went away.
The hare walked on, weeping again. A bear came towards him.
“What are you crying about, little hare?”
The hare said:
“Leave me alone, bear! How can I help crying? I had a hut of bast bark, and the fox had one of ice. She asked to come into mine, then drove me out.”
“Don’t cry, little hare!” said the bear. “I’ll drive her out.”
“No, you won’t! The dogs tried and couldn’t, and you won’t either.”
“Yes, I will!”
They went to drive her out.
“Out you go, fox!”
From the stove, she answered:
“Just wait till I leap out, till I jump out — bits of you will fly down every lane!”
The bear was frightened and went away.
The hare walked on, weeping again, when a bull came towards him.
“What are you crying about, little hare?”
“Leave me alone, bull! How can I help crying? I had a hut of bast bark, and the fox had one of ice. She asked to come into mine, then drove me out.”
“Come along. I’ll drive her out.”
“No, bull, you won’t! The dogs tried and couldn’t, the bear tried and couldn’t, and you won’t either.”
“Yes, I will.”
They came up to the hut.
“Out you go, fox!”
From the stove, she answered:
“Just wait till I leap out, till I jump out — bits of you will fly down every lane!”
The bull was frightened and went away.
The hare walked on, weeping again, when a rooster carrying a scythe came towards him.
“Cock-a-doodle-doo! What are you crying about, little hare?”
“Leave me alone, rooster! How can I help crying? I had a hut of bast bark, and the fox had one of ice. She asked to come into mine, then drove me out.”
“Come along. I’ll drive her out.”
“No, you won’t! The dogs tried and couldn’t, the bear tried and couldn’t, the bull tried and couldn’t, and you won’t either.”
“Yes, I will!”
They came up to the hut.
“Cock-a-doodle-doo! A scythe on my shoulder, I’ll cut down the fox! Out you go, fox!”
When she heard him, she was frightened and said:
“I’m getting dressed…”
The rooster called again:
“Cock-a-doodle-doo! A scythe on my shoulder, I’ll cut down the fox! Out you go, fox!”
She said:
“I’m putting on my fur coat.”
The rooster called a third time:
“Cock-a-doodle-doo! A scythe on my shoulder, I’ll cut down the fox! Out you go, fox!”
The fox ran out. He killed her with the scythe, then settled down with the hare, and they lived well and prospered together.
There’s a tale for you, and a crock of butter for me.