She served with the chief fox and performed her service diligently. True, it is unknown who and how she served - maybe she supplied him with chickens for dinner or something else.
One day the policeman says to the fox:
“Ask me whatever you want for your service.” Whatever you ask, I will give you everything!
The fox thought and thought about what to ask for, and came up with an idea.
“Give me,” he says, “your bell, so that when I go somewhere, everyone will be afraid of me, as if they were the master himself.”
Stanovoy agreed. He gave her his bell and said:
- Make sure you don’t lose it! If you lose it or give it to someone, I will skin you! The fox swore that he would not give it to anyone or lose it, and went for a walk around the world. Whoever hears the bell gets scared and gives the fox whatever she says.
The wolf found out that the fox had gotten herself a bell from the guard and that everyone was afraid of her and gave her everything she wanted.
So he comes to the fox and asks for this bell for at least an hour. The fox didn’t want to give it, but the wolf really began to ask her.
“Okay, godfather,” the fox agreed, “here, take it, if you lose it, you’ll cry then.” The official will tear the skins off both of us for this bell!
The wolf took the bell and quickly ran to get himself something. He ran into the field to the shepherds.
“The policeman sent me,” he says, “so that you give him the best ram, but if you don’t give it, he’ll come and put you in cold storage!”
The shepherds didn’t believe him and started beating him. They set dogs on him, beat him, beat him, and took away the bell. The bell disappeared. The wolf began to cry, went to the fox and told her, so and so.
The fox also began to cry, but what can you do? Remember the name of the guard's bell.
From that time on, as soon as the wolf hears the bell, he thinks that the policeman is coming to look for him. And, barely alive from fear, he runs wherever his eyes look.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru