One day a fox was walking through the fields and forests and found a bast shoe. She walked and walked, evening came, she entered one hut and asked:
- Let me spend the night, good people. The owner let her in.
- Where should I put my horse for the night? - asks the fox.
“Yes, tie it near the door,” the owner answers.
“No, I can’t,” says the fox. - My horse is used to sleeping in the chicken coop. The owner did not argue with the fox:
- Well, take your horse to the chicken coop.
At night the fox crept into the chicken coop, unraveled the bast shoe, wrapped the bast around the rooster's neck and went back to sleep.
In the morning the fox and the owner went to look at the bast shoes. The fox was the first to run into the chicken coop and scream:
- Master, master, come and look, your rooster ate my bast shoe! For this you must give me the rooster.
Although it’s a pity to give the rooster to the owner, what can you do – I had to.
The fox took the rooster and went on his way. She walked and walked, evening came, the fox came into the hut again and asked for a place to sleep for the night.
“Well, stay if you came,” says the owner.
- Where should I put my horse for the night? - asks the fox.
- Yes, tie her up right away.
“No, I can’t,” says the fox. – My horse is used to sleeping with the sheep.
The owner did not argue with her:
- Well, lead your horse to the sheep.
The fox took the rooster to the sheepfold, and she returned to the hut and went to bed. At night she got up, sneaked into the sheepfold, tore the rooster apart, ate it, and wrapped the intestines of the ram around the neck.
In the morning the fox and his owner went to the sheepfold. The fox was the first to run in and scream:
- Master, master, come and look, your ram ate my rooster! Now give me the ram instead of the rooster.
I really didn’t want to give the ram to the owner, but there was nothing to do - I had to.
The fox took the ram and moved on. She walked and walked, and evening came. The fox comes into the hut and asks:
- Let me spend the night.
The owner let her in.
- Where should I put my horse for the night? –
asks the fox.
“Let her go to my horses,” the owner answers.
No, I can’t, says the fox. - My horse is used to sleeping in the barn.
“Well, then take her to the cows,” the owner agreed.
The fox took the ram to the cows. At night she crept into the cowshed, tore the ram apart and ate it, and smeared the cows' faces and horns with wool and blood.
The fox got up in the morning and is getting ready to go. She went to the barn to get her horse. And the owner went with her. The fox was the first to run in and scream:
- Master, master, come and look, your cow tore my ram apart. In return you must give me a cow.
I really didn’t want to give the cow to the owner, but there was nothing to do - I had to.
The fox took the cow and moved on. She walked and walked, and then evening came.
The fox comes into the hut and asks:
- Let me spend the night.
The owner let her in.
Before going to bed, the fox asks his owner:
- Where should I put my horse for the night?
“Take her to my horses,” says the owner.
The fox took the cow to the horses. At night she crept into the stable, tore the cow apart, ate herself, and smeared the blood on the horses’ faces.
In the morning the fox got up and got ready to go. She went to the stable to get her horse, and the owner went with her. The fox was the first to run in and scream:
- Master, master, come and look, your horses ate my cow!
The owner looks: in fact, his horses have blood on their muzzles.
“Instead of a cow, you should give me a horse,” says the fox.
Well, what can you do? It must be so. He gave the fox the horse.
- What am I going to do with one horse? - says the fox. - Just give me the sleigh.
- The owner gave her a sleigh. But the fox still doesn’t let up:
“If you gave me a horse and a sleigh, then give me some harness in addition.”
Although the owner did not want to give the fox the harness, she pestered him so much that he gave her the harness too.
The fox harnessed the horse, sat in the sleigh and rode like a lady.
She drives and drives and meets a hare.
-Where are you going, godfather? - asks the hare. - Give me a lift.
But the fox doesn’t even want to listen to the hare. Finally she took pity:
“So be it,” he says, “put one foot in the sleigh.”
The hare put one paw in the sleigh, the fox is riding, and the hare is jumping behind. The little bunny was completely tired, and only then did the fox allow him to sit in the sleigh. The hare got into the sleigh, and the two of them rode off.
They drive and drive and meet a wolf.
-Where are you, godmothers, going? - asks the wolf. - Give me a lift.
There was no way the fox wanted to take the wolf. But the wolf begged her so much, so begged her that she finally took pity.
“Okay,” he says, “put one paw in the sleigh.” The wolf put one paw in the sleigh, the fox drove off, and the wolf
jumps from behind. He jumped and jumped and finally prayed:
- Let me go into the sleigh, godfather, I have no more strength. “Okay, sit down,” says the fox. The wolf got into the sleigh, and the three of them rode off.
They drive and drive and meet a bear.
-Where are you, godmothers, going? - asks the bear. - Give me a lift.
At first the fox didn’t want to listen, but the bear begged so much that she took pity on him.
“Okay,” he says, “put one paw in the sleigh.”
The bear put one paw in the sleigh, the fox drove off, and the bear hobbled behind on three legs. He hobbled and hobbled until he was completely exhausted. The fox took pity on him and allowed him to sit in the sleigh. The bear got into the sleigh, and the four of them rode off: a fox, a hare, a wolf and a bear.
They drove and drove, and suddenly the shaft broke. There is nothing to do, one of them must go look for the shaft. They began to think about who should go. They decided that the one who sat in the sleigh first with the fox would go. So the hare went to look for the shaft. Soon he returned with a thin twig. The fox saw him from afar and shouted:
-What are you talking about? Your twig is no good!
The fox sent the bear for the shafts. The bear went and brought an old snag.
“Is it really possible to make a shaft out of driftwood,” the fox shouts?
She scolded everyone and she herself got ready to go look for the shaft, and ordered the horse to guard the bear, wolf and hare.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru