The Sheep, the Fox, and the Wolf

A sheep ran away from a peasant’s flock. She met a fox, who asked: “Where are you off to, my dear?”

A sheep ran away from a peasant’s flock. She met a fox, who asked:

“Where are you off to, my dear?”

“Oh, my friend! I lived in a peasant’s flock, but life became unbearable. Whenever the ram did something foolish, I, the sheep, got all the blame! So I decided to go wherever my feet would take me.”

“So did I!” the fox replied. “Whenever my husband caught a chicken, I, the fox, got all the blame. Let’s run away together.”

After a while they met a wolf.

“Hello, my friend!”

“Hello!” said the fox.

“Are you going far?”

She answered:

“Wherever my feet take me!” When she had told him about her troubles, the wolf said:

“It’s the same with me! Whenever my wife kills a lamb, I, the wolf, get all the blame. Let’s go together.”

Off they went. On the way, the wolf said to the sheep:

“Say, sheep, isn’t that my sheepskin coat you’re wearing?”

The fox heard him and joined in:

“Is it really yours, my friend?”

“Of course it’s mine!”

“Will you swear to that?”

“I will!”

“Will you take an oath on it?”

“I will.”

“Then come and seal your oath with a kiss.”

The fox had noticed that some peasants had set a trap on the path. She led the wolf right up to it and said:

“There, kiss right here!”

The wolf foolishly poked his snout forward. The trap snapped shut and caught him by the muzzle. The fox and the sheep immediately ran off, safe and sound.