The wolf and the man


Ulven og mennesket


Once on 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 employ cunning in order to preserve 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 thee to do that," said the fox. "Come to me early to-morrow morning, and I will show thee 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 is going to be one." At length came a hunter with his double-barrelled gun at his back, and hanger by his side. Said the fox to the wolf, "Look, there comes a man, thou 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 face, 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 hast thou 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 side, and he beat me so with it that I was all but left lying dead." - "See what a braggart thou art!" said the fox. "Thou throwest thy hatchet so far that thou canst not fetch it back again!"
Der var engang en ræv, som fortalte en ulv, at mennesket var så stærkt, at intet dyr kunne stå sig imod ham, men måtte bruge list for at klare sig. "Hvis jeg engang traf på et menneske, ville jeg dog gå løs på ham," sagde ulven. Kom bare hen til mig i morgen tidlig," sagde ræven, "så skal jeg vise dig sådan en fyr." Ulven kom ganske tidligt og ræven førte den ud på en vej, jægeren hver dag gik ad. Først kom der en gammel, afskediget soldat forbi. "Er det et menneske?" spurgte ulven. "Nej," svarede ræven, "han har været det." Lidt efter kom der en lille dreng, som skulle i skole. "Er det et menneske?" spurgte ulven. "Han bliver det først," svarede ræven. Endelig kom jægeren med bøssen på ryggen og kniven ved siden. "Se, der kommer et menneske," sagde ræven, "gå løs på ham. Jeg løber ind i min hule." Ulven gik nu henimod jægeren. "Det er dog skade, at jeg ingen kugler har," tænkte han, sigtede og skød en ladning hagl i øjnene på ulven. Den skar nogle fæle ansigter, men lod sig dog ikke skræmme, og gik frem mod jægeren, der gav den endnu en salve. Ulven bed smerten i sig og gik helt ind på jægeren, men da drog han sin kniv og gav den et par hug til højre og venstre, så den blødte dygtigt og hylende løb tilbage til ræven. "Nå, lille ulv," spurgte den, "hvordan kom du så ud af det med mennesket." - "Så stærk har jeg rigtignok ikke troet, han var," svarede ulven, "først tog han en stok ned af skulderen og blæste deri, så der fløj mig noget i øjnene, som kildrede mig ganske modbydeligt, og da han pustede en gang til, var det som det lynede og haglede. Da jeg kom helt hen til ham, tog han et blankt ribben ud af kroppen og slog sådan løs på mig, at jeg var lige ved at blive på pletten." - "Der kan du se, hvad du er for en pralhals," sagde ræven, "du spænder buen så højt, at den brister."