The Wolf and the Fox

By the Brothers Grimm


The wolf had the fox living with him, and since the wolf was stronger, the fox had to do whatever the wolf wanted.  So the Fox's greatest desire was to get rid of his master.


One day they both happened to be walking through the forest, and the wolf said, " Red Fox, get me something to eat, or else I'll eat you instead."


"I know of a farmyard where there are two young lambs," the fox responded.  "If you want we can go and fetch one." 


That was fine with the wolf, and off they went.  The fox stole a little lamb, brought it to the wolf, and departed.  Meanwhile, the wolf ate the lamb but was not satisfied.  He wanted to have the other as well and went to fetch it.  However, he was so clumsy while trying to get it that the lamb's mother heard him and made such a terrible noise by bleating and whining that the farmers came running.  Upon discovering the wolf, they beat him mercilessly until he retreated, limping and howling, back home to the fox.


"That was some trap you led me into!" he said.  "I wanted to get the other lamb, but the farmers caught me and beat me to a pulp."

Why are you such a glutton?" replied the fox.

The following day they went out into the fields again, and once more the greedy wold said, "Red fox, get me something to eat, or else i'll eat you instead!."


"I know of a farmhouse where the wife will be baking pancakes tonight.  Let's go there and get some."

 

They went to the farm, and the fox sneaked around the house, looking and sniffing about until he discovered where the dish was.  Then he snatched six pancakes and brought them to the wolf.

 

"Now you've got plenty to eat," he said and went on his way.


The wolf gulped down the pancakes in a jiffy and said, "They've only increased my appetite."  So he went to the farmhouse and reached for the dish.  However, it fell to the ground and made such a tremendous crash that the farmer's wife came out.  When she saw the wolf, she called some people, who rushed to her side and beat the wolf so badly that he ran back to the fox in the forest with two lame legs and howled like mad.  "That was some nasty trap you led me into!"  he exclaimed.  "The farmer's caught me and tanned my hide."

 

However the fox answered, "why are you such a glutton?"


On the third day they were out in the fields again, and although the wolf could only limp with great difficulty, he said:

"Red Fox, get me something to eat or else i'll eat you instead!"

 

"I know of a man who's been doing some slaughtering, and the salted meat is in a barrel in his cellar.  Let's go and get it."

 

"This time I'm going to tag along with you, " said the wolf.  "Then you can help me if I can't get away."

"That's alright with me," said the fox, and he showed him all the shortcuts and ways that enabled them finally to get into the cellar.  There they found plenty of meat, and immediately the wolf began to gobble it down.  I've got some time before I have to stop, thought the wolf.


The fox also enjoyed the meat, but he kept looking around, and he often ran to the hole through which they had come, to make sure that his body was still thin enough to slip through.

"My dear fox," said the wolf, "could you tell me why you're continuously running back and forth and jumping in and out of the cellar?"

"I just want to see if anybody's coming," the sly fox answered.  "Just don't eat too much."


Right at that moment the farmer came.  He had heard the fox jumping in and out of the cellar.  When the fox saw him coming, he went right through the hole in one jump and landed outside.  The wolf wanted to follow him, but he had eaten too much and was so fat that he couldn't get through.  Consequently, he got stuck in the hole.  The the farmer came with a club and beat him to death, while the fox ran into the forest, glad to be rid of the old glutton.