And jorinda was standing there, clasping him round the neck, and she was as beautiful as ever. Then all the other birds were turned into maidens again, and he went home with his jorinda, and they lived happily together for a long time.
Once upon a time the fox was talking to the wolf of the strength of man. How no animal could withstand him, and how all were obliged to emply cunning in order to protect themselves from him. Then the wolf answered, if I had but the chance of seeing a man for once, I would set on him notwithstanding.
I can help you to do that, said the fox. Come to me early to-morrow morning, and I will show you one. The wolf presented himself betimes, and the fox took him out on the road by which the huntsmen went daily. First came an old discharged soldier.
Is that a man, inquired the wolf. No, answered the fox, that was one. Afterwards came a little boy who was going to school.
Is that a man. No, that will be one. At length came a hunter with his double-barelled gun at his back, and hanger by his side. Said the fox to the wolf, look, there comes a man, you must attack him, but I will take myself off to my hole. The wolf then rushed on the man. When the huntsman saw him he said, it is a pity that I have not loaded with a bullet, aimed, and fired his small shot in his face. The wolf pulled a very wry grimace, but did not let himself be frightened, and attacked him again, on which the huntsman gave him the second barrel. The wolf swallowed his pain, and rushed on the huntsman, but he drew out his bright hanger, and gave him a few cuts with it right and left, so that, bleeding everywhere, he ran howling back to the fox. Well, brother wolf, said the fox, how have you got on with man. Ah, replied the wolf, I never imagined the strength of man to be what it is. First, he took a stick from his shoulder, and blew into it, and then something flew into my face which tickled me terribly. Then he breathed once more into the stick, and it flew into my nose like lightning and hail. When I was quite close, he drew a white rib out of his body, and he beat me so with it that I was all but left lying dead. See what a braggart you are, said the fox. You throw your hatchet so far that you cannot fetch it back again.
The wolf had the fox with him, and whatsoever the wolf wished, that the fox was compelled to do, for he was the weaker, and he would gladly have been rid of his master.
It chanced that once as they were going through the forest, the wolf said, red-fox, get me something to eat, or else I will eat you yourself. Then the fox answered, I know a farm-yard where there are two young lambs. If you are inclined, we will fetch one of them. That suited the wolf, and they went thither, and the fox stole the little lamb, took it to the wolf, and went away. The wolf devoured it, but was not satisfied with one. He wanted the other as well, and went to get it. But as he did it so clumsily, the mother of the little lamb heard him, and began to cry out terribly, and to bleat so that the farmers came running there.
They found the wolf, and beat him so mercilessly, that he went to the fox limping and howling. You have misled me finely, said he. I wanted to fetch the other lamb, and the country folks surprised me, and have beaten me to a jelly. The fox replied, why are you such a glutton.
Next day they again went into the country, and the greedy wolf once more said, red-fox, get me something to eat, or I will eat you yourself. Then answered the fox, I know a farm-house where the wife is baking pancakes to-night. We will get some of them for ourselves. They went there, and the fox slipped round the house, and peeped and sniffed about until he discovered where the dish was, and then snatched six pancakes and carried them to the wolf.
There is something for you to eat, said he to him, and then went his way. The wolf swallowed down the pancakes in an instant, and said, they make one want more, and went thither and tore the whole dish down so that it broke in pieces. This made such a great noise that the woman came out, and when she saw the wolf she called the people, who hurried there, and beat him as long as their sticks would hold together, till with two lame legs, and howling loudly, he returned to the fox in the forest.
How abominably you have misled me, cried he, the peasants caught me, and tanned my skin for me. But the fox replied, why are you such a glutton.
On the third day, when they were out together, and the wolf could only limp along painfully, he again said, red-fox, get me something to eat, or I will eat your yourself. The fox answered, Iknow a man who has been killing, and the salted meat is lying in a barrel in the cellar. We will get that. Said the wolf, Iwill go when you do, that you may help me if I am not able to get away. I am willing, said the fox, and showed him the by-paths and ways by which at length they reached the cellar. There was meat in abundance, and the wolf attacked it instantly and thought, there is plenty of time before I need leave off. The fox liked it also, but looked about everywhere, and often ran to the hole by which they had come in, to find out if his body was still thin enough to slip through it. The wolf said, dear fox, tell me why you are running here and there so much, and jumping in and out.
I must see that no one is coming, replied the crafty fellow.
Don't eat too much. Then said the wolf, I shall not leave until the barrel is empty. In the meantime the farmer, who had heard the noise of the fox's jumping, came into the cellar. When the fox saw him he was out of the hole at one bound. The wolf wanted to follow him, but he had made himself so fat with eating that he could no longer get through, but stuck fast. Then came the farmer with a cudgel and struck him dead, but the fox bounded into the forest, glad to be rid of the old glutton.
