Oh, and Senora Fox got angry when Senor Wolf, opposite her dilapidated house - not even a house, but an ordinary fox hole - built himself a new spacious palace! But the cheat was curious, and when Senor Wolf invited her to visit - to admire the new house, she immediately agreed.
The wolf did a good job. He had a living room, a bedroom, even a kitchen. But what the fox liked most was the pantry. What the wolf didn’t have in store for himself! And most importantly, there were a lot of delicacies in the pantry: almonds, pears, and wine berries. Lisa had a big sweet tooth. She searched all the corners, sniffed all the supplies and said to the wolf:
- Senor godfather, you are missing one thing.
- What?
- A pot of honey!
And the fox really loved honey. She knew that there was nothing sweeter in the world than honey.
“You’re right,” the wolf agreed.
And just at this time a honey merchant passed under the window. He hummed:
Bee honey
Sweet honey
Honey and honeycombs
And without honeycombs!
Oh, how the fox liked this song. Senor Wolf also liked it. He paid the seller half a real. The seller poured him a pot of sweet, fragrant honey. The wolf put the pot in the pantry and said to the fox:
- Well, gossip, now I have plenty of everything. As soon as my house is ready, we’ll have a housewarming meal together.
- When are you going to celebrate your housewarming?
– Very soon, but first we need to paint the roof, then fix the porch, and then build a stone fence...
Well, the fox thinks, I won’t get any honey soon! – and decided to deceive Senor Wolf. She came the next day and said:
- Senor Wolf, I came to you with a big request. My nephew was born, I need to check on the boy, and you, do me a favor, look after my little foxes until I’m home. For this, I will bring you a pie with jam from the guests, a big one!
“Gossip,” the wolf begged, “but I don’t even know how foxes nurse!”
– But it’s very simple. First you shake them, then sing a song. They will fall asleep, and you will not have any worries.
The wolf thought, agreed and climbed into the fox hole. But the fox didn’t go anywhere: she climbed into the wolf’s new house, rummaged through the entire pantry - she collected pears and hazelnuts into a bag, and even reached the pot, even though it was on the very top shelf. She ate a good part of the honey and ran into the field with the bag. Well, the fox had a fun evening: she feasted with the shepherds, gave them pears and nuts, and they treated her to milk and fatty sheep’s cheese.
And the wolf sat in a dark hole, nursing naughty fox cubs. If one gets sick, the other cries, if one gets rocked, the first one wakes up. I was exhausted until the fox returned.
- What took you so long, godfather?
- She walked far. It was by the stream, behind the almond grove. And how many guests were there! What a good boy!
– What was your nephew’s name? The fox sang in response:
- I walked and feasted. Calling your nephew is the beginning!
The wolf was surprised:
– I’ve never heard such a name!
- Of course! This, top, is an old name. It's not something you hear every day.
-Where is the pie with jam?
– On the way, the starlings pecked.
The wolf got angry at the starlings, and also got angry at the fox:
- So why did I sit in the hole all evening, rocking the fox cubs as a nanny?
He left without even saying goodbye. I went to paint the roof.
But soon the fox again wanted to taste the sweet honey. I came to the wolf again.
- Senor wolf, do me a favor: my niece was born, I’m running to see the girl. My little foxes will take care of them while I'm not at home.
-Will you bring some pies?
- I’ll bring two!
The stupid wolf climbed into the fox's hole and rocked the fox cubs all evening. He really wanted to eat some pies. And the fox again visited the pantry, ate half a pot of honey and feasted with the shepherds. Came back late.
- Finally! – the wolf greeted her. - Well, what was the girl’s name?
The fox sang in response:
- Not a girl, but a picture.
Call the girl Half!
The wolf was surprised:
- There is no such name!
The cheat replied:
– This is the newest name: it was recently invented.
- Let's have some pies!
- On the way, the goldfinches pecked!
The wolf became even more angry. I went to build a porch. And a day later the fox came back to the wolf with a request:
- Baby-sitters are baby foxes.
-Who was born? Girl or boy?
- Nephew! You should definitely check it out! I’ll bring you so many pies – a whole bag! She said and even showed me the bag.
- Will you deceive me?
- No!
The stupid wolf believed the fox again and climbed into the hole to rock the fox cubs. And the trickster fox, as before, climbed into the wolf’s pantry - she ate all the honey without a trace, visited the shepherds, and feasted with the shepherds. I returned home even later.
- How are you, nanny? The wolf growled:
“Tell me what the child’s name was, give me a bag of pies, and go to bed quickly, it’s already midnight!”
- I, my dear, have no time to sleep! Call your nephew to the bottom! - the fox sang.
- What a stupid name!
- But it’s sweet. I've never heard anything sweeter.
- And the pies? Did the birds peck you again on the way?
- No, the pastry chef’s oven collapsed and all your pies burned!
- She's a liar! - the wolf growled. - I will never come to you again! - He jumped out of the hole and ran home to build a wall out of stones.
Time has passed. The top rebuilt the house well. The roof is painted, the porch is built, the wall is built - high, strong, the gate is locked: the owner does not invite the fox to a housewarming party. The cheat is knocking on the gate:
“Isn’t it time to keep your word, senor, and invite your neighbor to visit?”
The wolf from behind the wall answers:
“I said, I won’t come to you, and you don’t come to me.”
“Okay, okay,” the fox answers. - If you start calling, I won’t come. Just tell me – did you paint the roof?
- Painted it.
- And built a porch?
- Built it.
- And made the wall out of stone?
“And I folded the wall and locked the gate so that you, fox, would not come to me!”
- Does the gate open?
- It opens.
– Does it open well?
- Great.
- Show me.
The wolf began to open the gate, and the fox sniffed and was already on the porch.
- Receive, master, guests!
The wolf saw that he could not get rid of the uninvited guest: he unwillingly took the fox into the house and treated him to dinner. He fed him to his fill, took out a pot of honey from the top shelf, put it on the table, opened the lid and froze in surprise: there was nothing in the pot!
-Where is the honey? Wasn't it you who ate it, godfather? First the beginning, then half, and then I scraped everything down to the bottom! Now I know where your nieces came from!
- Glutton! Gourmand! – the fox shouted at the wolf. - Shame on you! You ate everything yourself, and you blame me, the innocent one!
- Well, godfather! How innocent you are! I’ll go to the lion now and file a complaint against you!
They argued for a long time - they became hoarse from shouting. Finally the fox says to the wolf:
“Let’s go to bed, Senor Wolf.” In the morning it will be clearer which of us is to blame.
The wolf agreed. We went to rest. The fox looked and the owner began to snore. She reached into the pot, took out the remaining honey from it and smeared the wolf’s face with honey. And in the morning he wakes him up:
- Get up, wake up! What a shameless guy! Look - your whole face is covered in honey!
The wolf licked his lips - his face was actually covered in honey!
“Sorry,” he says, “godfather, it’s my fault.” But I can swear whatever you want, I don’t remember how it happened!
On this we made peace. But the wolf still doesn’t understand: when did he eat the pot of honey?
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru