In the old days, a raven sat on a tree near its nest and held a piece of meat in its mouth. The fox came and said:
- You are black, handsome, and you probably sing well. I wish I could listen!
The raven liked it, he cawed, a piece of meat fell, and the fox ate it. After this the fox said:
“I’ll eat one more chick from you.”
Raven replied:
- No, now you won’t deceive me. How do you climb a tree?
- No, I’ll eat it. Why would I climb a tree? I'll knock him down with an axe. “You see, I have an ax,” said the fox, pointing to its tail, and began to hit the tree with it.
The raven begged not to cut down the tree and threw his chick to the fox. The fox ate and left.
A little bird flew in and saw that the raven was crying.
-What are you crying about, raven? – she asked.
The raven told how the fox began to cut down a tree and ate its chick.
“How stupid you are,” said the bird, “it wasn’t an ax, but a tail; the fox wouldn't have done anything, why did you give up your chick?
After some time, these words reached the fox.
I will repay you! - thinks.
One day, when the fox was lying down, a bird flew in and sat down opposite.
“It’s good that you came,” said the fox. I have a lot of lice, sit on my head and look for lice.
The bird was afraid, knowing the fox's cunning, and did not come close, but began to jump around and around. Then the fox said:
- That's how unreasonable you are - how can someone as nimble and evasive as you be fearful? Sit on your head and look for me!
The bird thought, sat on the back of the fox’s head and began to pick out lice. The fox saw that she couldn’t catch the bird, stretched her paws forward, put her head on them and said:
- Sit here! - pointing to the end of the muzzle. The bird sat down. The fox raised her paw to catch the bird, but she flew away, leaving only one white feather in her paw, which stuck to the fox’s chest. That's why she has white fur on her chest.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru