1
昔、九本の尻尾がある古狐がいました。古狐は妻が自分に忠実でないと思い、妻を試してみようと思いました。長椅子の下に長々とねて、手足を動かさず、まるで死んだようにしていました。狐奥様は自分の部屋に上がって行き、ひきこもり、お手伝いさんの猫嬢がかまどのそばに座り、料理をしていました。古狐が死んだと知れると、大勢の求婚者たちが現れました。
お手伝いさんは誰かが玄関の戸をたたいているのを聞いて、でかけて戸を開けました。それは若い狐で、「何をしているんだい？猫さん。眠っているかい？起きているかい？」と言いました。「眠っていないわ。起きてるわよ。何を作っているか知りたい？バターでビールを煮ているの。夕食のお客さんになりません？」「いや、結構です、猫さん。狐奥様は何してますか？」と狐は言いました。
お手伝いさんは、「奥様は部屋にいて、ふさぎこんで嘆いています。だんなさまが亡くなったので泣いて目が真っ赤です。」と答えました。「では、是非伝えてください。お嬢さん。若い狐がここにいて、奥様に妻になって欲しがってると。」「わかりました。若いお方。」猫は階段を昇ります。タン、トン。猫は戸を叩きます。トン、トン、トン。「狐奥様、おいでですか？」「ああ、いますよ。猫さん。」と狐奥様は叫びました。「玄関の外に妻になってほしいという方がいます。」「どんな方？その方、亡くなっただんなさまと同じ９本の美しい尻尾があって？」「とんでもない、尻尾は一本だけです。」と猫は答えました。「それじゃ結婚しないわ。」猫嬢は下におりていき、求婚者を追い返しました。
そのあとまもなく、また戸をたたく音がして、別の狐が玄関にいて狐奥様を妻にしたいと言いました。この狐には尻尾が２本ありましたが、最初の狐と同じ結果になりました。このあと、さらにもっと来て、前の狐より尻尾が一本ずつ多かったのですが、みんな追い返されました。そしてとうとう、古狐のだんな様のように九本の尻尾がある狐がきました。狐奥様はそれを聞くと、嬉しそうに猫に言いました。「門と戸を全部開けて、古狐のだんなを外に運び出しておくれ。」
しかし、結婚式が行われようというちょうどその時、古狐のだんなは長椅子の下で動き出し、式に来たお客をみんなこん棒でたたき、みんなと狐奥様を家から追い出してしまいました。
２
古狐のだんなが死んだとき、狼が結婚を申し込みに来て、戸をたたき、奥様狐のお手伝いさんをしている猫が戸を開けました。狼は猫に挨拶して、「こんにちは、ケーレビットの猫さん、どうして一人でいるのですか？どんなご馳走を作っているのですか？」と言いました。猫は、「とても甘いパンをくだいてミルクに入れています。お客さんになって食べませんか？」「いいえ、結構です、猫さん。」と狼は答えました。「狐奥様はお留守ですか？」「奥様は悲しい運命を嘆きながら、とても困って嘆きながら、二階の部屋にいらっしゃいます。だんな様の古狐がもうこの世にいないので。」と猫は言いました。狼は「もし奥様が今夫が欲しいなら、下に降りてくるように」と答えました。
猫は素早く階段を駆け上がり、尻尾をあちこちに揺らして、居間の入口にやってきます。五本の金の指輪で、戸をたたきます。「おいでですか？奥様、もし夫が欲しいなら、下まで降りてきてください。」狐奥様は「その方は赤い靴下をはいてるの？とがった口をしているの？」と尋ねました。「いいえ」と猫は答えました。「それじゃあ、私の役にたたないわ。」
狼が行ってしまうと、犬、鹿、うさぎ、熊、ライオン、など森のけものが次々とみんな来ました。しかし、古狐のだんなが持っていた良い性質のうち一つがどの相手にもいつも欠けていて、猫は求婚者たちを追い返し続けました。とうとう若い狐がやってきました。すると、狐奥様は、「その方は赤い靴下をはいているの？小さなとがった口をしているの？」と言い、猫は「はい、そうですよ。」と言いました。「それじゃ、二階へお連れしておくれ。」と狐奥様は言い、お手伝いさんに結婚式の準備をするよう命じました。「できるだけきれいに部屋を掃いて、窓を開けて、夫のじいさんを投げだしておくれ。じいさん、すてきな太ったねずみをもってきて、妻のことは考えちゃいなかったわ、つかまえたのはみんなたべちゃったもの。」それから若い狐と結婚式をあげて、たくさん喜びと踊りがありました。もし止めていなければ、ふたりはまだ踊っています。
FIRST STORY
There was once on a time an old fox with nine tails, who believed that his wife was not faithful to him, and wished to try her. He stretched himself out under the bench, did not move a limb, and behaved as if he were stone dead. Mrs. Fox went up to her room, shut herself in, and her maid, Miss Cat, sat by the fire, and did the cooking. When it became known that the old fox was dead, wooers presented themselves. The maid heard some one standing at the house-door, knocking. She went and opened it, and it was a young fox, who said,
"What may you be about, Miss Cat.?
Do you sleep or do you wake?"
She answered,
"I am not sleeping, I am waking,
Wouldst thou know what I am making?
I am boiling warm beer with butter so nice,
Will the gentleman enter and drink some likewise?"
"No, thank you, miss," said the fox, "what is Mrs. Fox doing?" The maid replied,
"She sits all alone,
And makes her moan,
Weeping her little eyes quite red,
Because old Mr. Fox is dead."
"Do just tell her, miss, that a young fox is here, who would like to woo her." - "Certainly, young sir."
The cat goes up the stairs trip, trap,
The door she knocks at tap, tap, tap,
"Mistress Fox, are you inside?"
"Oh yes, my little cat," she cried.
"A wooer he stands at the door out there."
"Tell me what he is like, my dear?"
"But has he nine as beautiful tails as the late Mr. Fox?" - "Oh, no," answered the cat, "he has only one."
"Then I will not have him." Miss Cat went downstairs and sent the wooer away. Soon afterwards there was another knock, and another fox was at the door who wished to woo Mrs. Fox. He had two tails, but he did not fare better than the first. After this still more came, each with one tail more than the other, but they were all turned away, until at last one came who had nine tails, like old Mr. Fox. When the widow heard that, she said joyfully to the cat,
Do you sleep or do you wake?"
She answered,
"I am not sleeping, I am waking,
Wouldst thou know what I am making?
I am boiling warm beer with butter so nice,
Will the gentleman enter and drink some likewise?"
"No, thank you, miss," said the fox, "what is Mrs. Fox doing?" The maid replied,
"She sits all alone,
And makes her moan,
Weeping her little eyes quite red,
Because old Mr. Fox is dead."
"Do just tell her, miss, that a young fox is here, who would like to woo her." - "Certainly, young sir."
The cat goes up the stairs trip, trap,
The door she knocks at tap, tap, tap,
"Mistress Fox, are you inside?"
"Oh yes, my little cat," she cried.
"A wooer he stands at the door out there."
"Tell me what he is like, my dear?"
"But has he nine as beautiful tails as the late Mr. Fox?" - "Oh, no," answered the cat, "he has only one."
"Then I will not have him." Miss Cat went downstairs and sent the wooer away. Soon afterwards there was another knock, and another fox was at the door who wished to woo Mrs. Fox. He had two tails, but he did not fare better than the first. After this still more came, each with one tail more than the other, but they were all turned away, until at last one came who had nine tails, like old Mr. Fox. When the widow heard that, she said joyfully to the cat,
"Now open the gates and doors all wide,
And carry old Mr. Fox outside."
But just as the wedding was going to be solemnized, old Mr. Fox stirred under the bench, and cudgelled all the rabble, and drove them and Mrs. Fox out of the house.
And carry old Mr. Fox outside."
But just as the wedding was going to be solemnized, old Mr. Fox stirred under the bench, and cudgelled all the rabble, and drove them and Mrs. Fox out of the house.
SECOND STORY
When old Mr. Fox was dead, the wolf came as a wooer, and knocked at the door, and the cat who was servant to Mrs. Fox, opened it for him. The wolf greeted her, and said,
"Good day, Mrs. Cat of Kehrewit,
"How comes it that alone you sit?
What are you making good?"
The cat replied,
"In milk I'm breaking bread so sweet,
Will the gentleman please come in and eat?"
"No, thank you, Mrs. Cat," answered the wolf. "Is Mrs. Fox not at home?"
The cat said,
"How comes it that alone you sit?
What are you making good?"
The cat replied,
"In milk I'm breaking bread so sweet,
Will the gentleman please come in and eat?"
"No, thank you, Mrs. Cat," answered the wolf. "Is Mrs. Fox not at home?"
The cat said,
"She sits upstairs in her room,
Bewailing her sorrowful doom,
Bewailing her trouble so sore,
For old Mr. Fox is no more."
The wolf answered,
"If she's in want of a husband now,
Then will it please her to step below?"
The cat runs quickly up the stair,
And lets her tail fly here and there,
Until she comes to the parlour door.
With her five gold rings at the door she knocks,
"Are you within, good Mistress Fox?
If you're in want of a husband now,
Then will it please you to step below?
Mrs. Fox asked, "Has the gentleman red stockings on' and has he a pointed mouth?" - "No," answered the cat. "Then he won't do for me."
When the wolf was gone, came a dog, a stag, a hare, a bear, a lion, and all the beasts of the forest, one after the other. But one of the good points which old Mr. Fox had possessed, was always lacking, and the cat had continually to send the wooers away. At length came a young fox. Then Mrs. Fox said, "Has the gentleman red stockings on, and has he a little pointed mouth?" - "Yes," said the cat, "he has." - "Then let him come upstairs," said Mrs. Fox, and ordered the servant to prepare the wedding-feast.
Bewailing her sorrowful doom,
Bewailing her trouble so sore,
For old Mr. Fox is no more."
The wolf answered,
"If she's in want of a husband now,
Then will it please her to step below?"
The cat runs quickly up the stair,
And lets her tail fly here and there,
Until she comes to the parlour door.
With her five gold rings at the door she knocks,
"Are you within, good Mistress Fox?
If you're in want of a husband now,
Then will it please you to step below?
Mrs. Fox asked, "Has the gentleman red stockings on' and has he a pointed mouth?" - "No," answered the cat. "Then he won't do for me."
When the wolf was gone, came a dog, a stag, a hare, a bear, a lion, and all the beasts of the forest, one after the other. But one of the good points which old Mr. Fox had possessed, was always lacking, and the cat had continually to send the wooers away. At length came a young fox. Then Mrs. Fox said, "Has the gentleman red stockings on, and has he a little pointed mouth?" - "Yes," said the cat, "he has." - "Then let him come upstairs," said Mrs. Fox, and ordered the servant to prepare the wedding-feast.
"Sweep me the room as clean as you can,
Up with the window, fling out my old man!
For many a fine fat mouse he brought,
Yet of his wife he never thought,
But ate up every one he caught."
Then the wedding was solemnized with young Mr. Fox, and there was much rejoicing and dancing; and if they have not left off, they are dancing still.
Up with the window, fling out my old man!
For many a fine fat mouse he brought,
Yet of his wife he never thought,
But ate up every one he caught."
Then the wedding was solemnized with young Mr. Fox, and there was much rejoicing and dancing; and if they have not left off, they are dancing still.