GRIMM'S FAIRY TALES - online book

130 Fairy Stories Adapted & Arranged for young people

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	i76           THE WEDDING OF WIDOW FOX.
	The young cat went down and gave the message to the suitor, and sent him away. But soon after there came another knock at the door, and when the cat opened it, there stood a fox who wished to court Widow Fox; he had two tails, but had no better success than the first. And so they kept coming one after the other, each with one tail more, till at last a fox made his appearance who had nine tails, like the widow's dead husband. The cat ran upstairs to tell the widow, who asked, " Has the gentleman red stockings and a pointed nose ?" "No," answered the cat. " Ah, then he won't do for me," she said. By-and-by came a wolf, a dog, a stag, a bear, and even a lion, but she would have nothing to do with any of them. By this time the old fox began to think that he had made a mistake about his wife) and, indeed, he was getting so hungry, that he could hardly lie still and sham being dead any longer. He opened his eyes, and was just going to spring up and say, " Dear old wife, I'm not dead at all !" when in came the cat. " Oh ! Madam Fox," she exclaimed, " there's a young gentleman Fox down stairs, and he's so handsome. He has nine tails, a scarlet tongue, red stockings, and a pointed nose, and he wants to become a suitor." "That is just the husband for me, Pussy," said the widow Fox; " and we'll have such a splendid wedding; but, first, open all the doors and windows, and throw the old fox out and bury him." At these words, the old fox could stand it no longer. Up he started from his place under the bench, gave the whole party a good thrashing, turned the young cat and all the other servants and suitors out of the house, and Widow Fox after them. So he had the place all to himself, and made a firm resolve never to die again, if he could help it
	A shoemaker once became so very poor, not by any fault of his own, that at last he had onlv iist enough leather left to make one