• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 2160 0

the other blew on the two regiments. Then they were driven away from each other, and carried into the blue sky over all the mountains—one here, the other there. One sergeant cried for mercy; he had nine wounds, and was a brave fellow who did not deserve ill-treatment. The blower stopped a little so that he came down without injury, and then the blower said to him: “Now go home to your King, and tell him he had better send some more horsemen, and I will blow them all into the air.” When the King was informed of this he said: “Let the rascals go. There is magic in them.” Then the six conveyed the riches home, divided it amongst them, and lived in content until their death.

The Wolf and the Man

ONCE upon a time the fox was talking to the wolf of the strength of man; how no animal could withstand him, and how all were obliged to employ cunning in order to protect themselves from him. Then the wolf answered: “If I had but the chance of seeing a man for once, I would set on him notwithstanding.” “I can help you to do that,” said the fox. “Come to me early to-morrow morning, and I will show you one.” The wolf presented himself betimes, and the fox took him out on the road by which the huntsmen went daily. First came an old discharged soldier. “Is that a man?” inquired the wolf. “No,” answered the fox, “that was one.” Afterwards came a little boy who was going to school. “Is that a man?” “No, that will be one.” At length came a hunter with his double-barrelled gun at his back, and hanger by his side. Said the fox to the wolf: “Look, there comes a man, you must attack him, but I will take myself off to my hole.” The wolf then rushed on the man. When the huntsman saw him he said: “It is a pity that I have not loaded with a bullet,” aimed, and fired his small shot in his face. The wolf pulled a very wry grimace, but did not let himself be frightened, and attacked him again, on which the huntsman gave him the second barrel. The wolf swallowed his pain, and rushed on the huntsman, but he drew out his bright hanger, and gave him a few cuts with it right and left, so that, bleeding everywhere, he ran howling back to the fox. “Well, brother wolf,” said the fox, “how have you got on with man?” “Ah!” replied the wolf, “I never imagined the strength of man to be what it is! First, he took a stick from his shoulder, and blew into it, and then something flew into my face which tickled me terribly; then he breathed once more into the stick, and it flew into my nose like lightning and hail; when I was quite close, he drew a white rib out of his body, and he beat me so with it that I was all but left lying dead.” “See what a braggart you are!” said the fox. “You throw your hatchet so far that you cannot fetch it back again!”

The Wolf and the Fox

THE WOLF had the fox with him, and whatsoever the wolf wished, that the fox was compelled to do, for he was the weaker, and he would gladly have been rid of his master. It chanced that once as they were going through the forest, the wolf said: “Red-fox, get me something to eat, or else I will eat you yourself.” Then the fox answered: “I know a farm-yard where there are two young lambs; if you are inclined, we will fetch one of them.” That suited the wolf, and they went thither, and the fox stole the little lamb, took it to the wolf, and went away. The wolf devoured it, but was not satisfied with one; he wanted the other as well, and went to get it. But as he did it so clumsily, the mother of the little lamb heard him, and began to cry out terribly, and to bleat so that the farmers came running there. They found the wolf, and beat him so mercilessly, that he went to the fox limping and howling. “You have misled me finely,” said he; “I wanted to fetch the other lamb, and the country folks surprised me, and have beaten me to a jelly.” The fox replied, “Why are you such a glutton?”

Next day they again went into the country, and the greedy wolf once more said: “Red-fox, get me something to eat, or I will eat you yourself.” Then answered the fox: “I know a farm-house where the wife is baking