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4o8 THE WOLF AND THE FOX. |
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So they went on together, and the fox sneaked into the house, sniffed, and smelt about for some time, till he at last found out where the dish stood. Then he dragged six pancakes from it, and brought them to the wolf.
"Now you have something to eat," said the fox, and went away to find his own dinner.
The wolf, however, swallowed the pancakes in the twinkling of an eye, and said to himself, " They taste so good I must have some more." So he went into the farm kitchen, and, while pulling down the pancakes, upset the dish, and broke it in pieces.
The farmer's wife heard the crash, and came rushing in; but when she saw the wolf, she called loudly for the farm servants, who came rushing in, and beat him with whatever they could lay their hands on, so that he ran back to the fox in the wood with two lame legs, howling terribly.
" How could you serve me such a dirty trick ?" he said. " The farmer nearly caught me; and he has given me such a thrashing."
"Well, then," replied the fox, "you should not be such a glutton."
Another day, when the wolf and the fox were out together, and the wolf was limping with fatigue, he said, " Red fox, find me something to eat, or I shall eat you."
The fox replied, " I know a man who has been slaughtering cattle to-day; and there is a quantity of salted meat lying in a tub in the cellar. I can fetch some of that."
"No," said the wolf; "let me go with you this time. You can help me if I cannot run away fast enough."
" You may come for aught ' care," replied Reynard, and showed him on the way many of his tricks; and at last they reached the cellar safely.
There was meat in abundance. The wolf made himself quite at home, and said, "There will be time to stop when I hear any sound."
The fox also enjoyed himself; but he kept looking lound now and then; and ran often to the hole through which they had entered to try if it was still large enough for his body to slip through.
"Dear fox," said the wolf, "why are you running about and jumping here and there so constantly?" |
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