The wolf and the fox


狼和狐狸


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 thee thyself." Then the fox answered, "I know a farm-yard where there are two young lambs; if thou art 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. As, however, he did it so awkwardly, the mother of the little lamb heard him, and began to cry out terribly, and to bleat so that the farmer came running there. They found the wolf, and beat him so mercilessly, that he went to the fox limping and howling. "Thou hast 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 art thou 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 thee thyself." 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 drew down six pancakes and carried them to the wolf. "There is something for thee 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 got back to the fox in the forest. "How abominably thou hast misled me!" cried he, "the peasants caught me, and tanned my skin for me." But the fox replied, "Why art thou 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 thee thyself." The fox answered, "I know 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, "I will go when thou dost, that thou mayest 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, and tried if his body was still thin enough to slip through it. The wolf said, "Dear fox, tell me why thou art 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.
狼以前是和狐狸住在一起的,而且狼要什么,狐狸就得去做,因为狐狸较弱。 有一次他们一起穿越一片大森林,狼说:"红狐,去给我找点吃的,不然我就把你给吃了。"狐狸回答说:"我知道附近有个农场,里面有两只小羊。如果你愿意,我们就去弄一只来。"狼觉得这主意不错,和狐狸来到农场。 狐狸溜进去偷了一只小羊交给狼,自己很快走开了。 狼吃完那只小羊,觉得不过瘾,还想吃,于是自己跑去偷。 狼笨手笨脚的,马上被母羊发现了,便"咩咩"地惊叫起来。 农夫听到了跑出来一看是只狼,毫不手软地给了一顿痛打,直打得狼嚎叫着,一瘸一拐地跑到狐狸那里去了。 "你骗得我好苦哇!"狼说,"我想再吃一只羊,那农夫突然袭击,打得我几乎变成肉酱了!"狐狸却说:"谁让你这么贪婪啊。"
第二天他们又来到农场。 贪婪的狼说:"红狐,去给我找点吃的,不然我就把你给吃了。"狐狸回答说:"我知道有户农家今晚要煎薄饼,我们去弄些来吃吧。"他们来到农舍,狐狸围着房子蹑手蹑脚地转了一圈,一边嗅一边朝里张望,终于发现了放饼的盘子,就去偷了六个薄煎饼交给狼。 "这是给你吃的。"狐狸说完就走了。 狼转眼就吃完了六个薄饼,对自己说:"这些饼真让人还想吃。"于是跑到那里,把整个盘子都拖了下来,结果盘子掉在地上打得粉碎。 响声惊动了农妇,她发现是只狼,连忙叫人,他们一起用棍子狠狠地打,直打得狼拖着两条瘸了的腿嚎叫着逃回了森林。 "你太可恶了,竟然把我骗到那农舍,结果被农夫抓住,打得皮开肉绽的。"可狐狸说:"谁让你这么贪婪啊。"
第三天,它们又一起出去,狼只能跛着脚走,它又对狐狸说:"红狐,去给我找点吃的,不然我就把你给吃了。"狐狸说:"我知道有个人今天正好杀了头牲口,刚腌的肉放在地窖的一个桶里,我们去弄些来。"狼说:"我跟着你一起去,假如我被逮住了,你也好帮我一把。""行。"狐狸说着就将方法和通地窖的小路告诉了狼。 它们终于来到地窖,那里有很多肉,狼张口就吃了起来。 狼想:"我要用足够的时间吃个痛快才走。"狐狸也很爱吃,但它总是四下张望,时不时跑到进来的洞口,试试自己的身体能不能钻出去。 狼问:"亲爱的狐狸,你能不能告诉我你为什么总是跑来跑去、钻进钻出的?""我得看看是不是有人来了,"狡猾的伙伴回答说,"别吃太多了!"狼却说:"我要把桶里的肉全部吃光为止。"此时农夫听到狐狸跳进跳出的声音,就朝地窖走来。 狐狸一看到他的影子,自己一溜烟地钻出去逃走了。 狼也想跟着跑,可它吃得肚子鼓鼓的,在洞口卡得牢牢的钻不出去了。 农夫拿着一根棍子把狼打死了,而狐狸却跑回了森林,为能够摆脱那贪得无厌的狼而感到十分高兴。