Merry Tales. Eleanor L. Skinner
good look at him,” said Madam Fox, proudly.
The wolf ran away in search of a lamb, and Madam continued on her way. In a short time she met a bear. “Good day, my good friend,” he said. “I have missed you for some time. May I ask where you have been?”
“Oh,” said Madam, “is it possible you have not heard of my marriage with Ivan, the bailiff of the forest?”
“Is it true? Then I offer you my sincere congratulations! The bailiff of the forest, you say?” said the bear, in a puzzled tone. “Madam, it would give me the greatest pleasure to see his honor, your husband.”
“Yes,” said Madam, “that would be a great privilege, but I must tell you that the bailiff is very fierce. In fact, he is likely to devour anyone who does not please him. But perhaps I can help you out a little. Let me see. You had better procure an ox. And be sure to offer your gift very humbly. The wolf, who is also most anxious to see my husband, is going to bring a lamb for a present.”
Away went the bear in search of his gift, which he soon found; then he hurried clumsily along, and in a little while he met the wolf with a lamb.
“Good day to you, my friend,” began the wolf. “May I ask where you are going with such a burden?”
“I am going to see the husband of Madam Fox, to whom I shall give this ox. Will you tell me where you are going?” said the bear.
“Why, I am bound for the same place, my friend. Madam Fox told me her husband is terrible. He devours anyone who displeases him, so I am taking a lamb for a present.” The wolf’s voice trembled a little as he continued, “I do hope he will take kindly to me.”
The friends went on their way, and in a short time they came to the house of the cat. The wolf pushed the bear a little ahead and whispered, “Go, my good comrade, knock on the door and say to the husband of Madam Fox that we have brought an ox and a lamb as gifts.”
“Oh,” shivered the bear, “I dare not! I am so filled with fear. Indeed, indeed, I cannot. You go, good wolf! Do.”
“Impossible,” returned the wolf, in a quaking voice. “I am trembling all over. I haven’t strength enough to walk there much less to rap on the door. Come, let us hide ourselves and bide our time.”
So the wolf hid himself under some dry leaves, and the bear jumped into a tree and carefully hid himself among the branches. In a few moments Madam Fox and her husband, who had been walking in the forest, came home.
“How very small the bailiff is,” whispered the wolf.
“He is, indeed,” gasped the bear, a little scornfully.
The cat now saw the ox and leaped to the step saying, “Oh, a small meal for me.”
“A small meal,” said the bear, with surprise. “How very, very hungry the bailiff must be! And he is so small, too. Why, a bull is a good meal for four bears. What an immense appetite he must have!”
The wolf was too much frightened to answer. There was a slight rustling sound in the dry leaves and, thinking a mouse was hidden there, the cat gave a bound and fastened his claws in the snout of the wolf. With a gasp of fear the wolf leaped up and ran away as fast as he could go. Now, the cat was very much afraid of a wolf, and so he gave one leap into the tree where the bear lay hidden. “Oh, mercy, mercy!” cried the bear. “The cat is after me. He will devour me. Oh, help, help!” and down the tree scrambled the bear. Off he ran, as fast as he could go, after the wolf. Madam Fox screamed out: “My husband is terrible! He will devour you! He will devour you!”
Away sped the wolf and the bear, and they told their adventure to the other animals of the forest, who took good care to stay far away from the terrible bailiff. Meanwhile the cat and the fox were very happy, and they had plenty to eat for a long time.
BRUIN AND REYNARD PARTNERS
Once upon a time Bruin and Reynard were to plant a field in common and to share the crops in a fair way. “If you’ll have the root, I’ll take the top,” said Reynard. Bruin thought that plan would do very well.
The first year they sowed rye. But when they had thrashed out the crop, Reynard got all the grain and Bruin got nothing but roots and rubbish. He did not like that at all, but Reynard said that was how they had agreed to share the crop, and it was fair and right.
“The tops come to me this year,” said Reynard, “but next year it will be your turn. Then you will have the tops and I shall have to put up with the roots.”
Spring came and it was time to sow again. Sly Reynard asked Bruin what he thought of sowing turnip seed for the second year’s crop.
“Yes, yes,” said Bruin, “we will have turnips. Turnips are better food than rye.”
Reynard agreed with him. Harvest time came. “We will divide the crops as is fair and right,” said Reynard. “I get the roots this time and you get the tops.” So Reynard got all the turnip roots and Bruin the turnip tops. When Bruin saw what Reynard had done, he was very angry, and he put an end to his partnership with him at once.
THE THREE WISHES
Once upon a time in the heart of a forest lived a woodcutter and his wife. They were very poor indeed. Their little cabin, built of rough-hewn logs, had only one room, which was very scantily and poorly furnished. One day the woodcutter said to his wife,
“How miserable we are! We work all day, and we have barely enough food to keep life in our bodies! Surely there are few who work as hard as we do and have so little!”
The housewife replied, “Yes, indeed, we are very miserable.”
“Well, I’m off for another day’s work,” sighed the husband. “My lot is too hard.”
He picked up his ax and made his way to the place in the forest where he was to perform his task. Suddenly, a dear little fairy whose face was wreathed in smiles danced into the path and stood before him.
“I am the wishing fairy,” she began. “I heard what you said about your work and your life, and my heart aches for you. Now, because I am a fairy, it is in my power to grant you three wishes. Ask for any three things you desire and your wishes shall be granted.” The fairy disappeared in the twinkling of an eye, and the woodcutter was left standing alone in the forest. Was he dreaming? He couldn’t believe his own senses! He thought of a thousand wishes all in an instant. He would go home and talk the matter over with his wife. He turned in his path and retraced his steps to the cabin.
“Art thou ill?” demanded his wife, who came to the door.
“Oh, no, indeed, I am not ill; I am very, very happy!” he burst forth. “I met a fairy in the forest. She told me that she was very, very sorry for me, and that she would help me by granting three wishes. Think of it! Any three wishes in the world will be granted by the charming fairy.”
“Wonderful!” responded the housewife.
“Oh, how happy the very thought of it makes me! Come, let us sit down and talk the matter over; for I assure you it is not easy to come to a decision. I am indeed, very, very happy.”
They drew up their chairs to the little table and sat down.
“I am so hungry,” began the woodcutter. “Let us have