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?"
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.
狼は狐を従えていました。狼が望んだことは何でも狐はやらされました。というのは狐の方が弱かったからで、できれば主人と喜んでおさらばしていたでしょう。あるとき二人が森を通っていたとき、狼が、「赤狐、何か食べ物をとってこい、でないとお前自身を食っちまうぞ」と言いました。狐は「２匹の子羊がいる農家の庭を知っています。もしよろしければ１匹とりましょう。」と答えました。狼はそれがいいと思い、二人でそこへ行きました。そして狐は子羊を盗み、狼のところへ持っていき、行ってしまいました。狼はがつがつ子羊を食いましたが、一匹では満足しませんでした。それでもう１匹も欲しくなり、それを手に入れるためでかけました。
しかし狼はやるのがとても下手くそだったので、子羊の母が聞きつけ、激しく叫びたてメエメエなくので、農夫たちがそこへ走ってきました。そして狼を見つけ、とても情け容赦なくぶったので、狼は足を引きずり、うめきながら、狐のところへ行きました。「お前はおれをうまくだましやがったな。もう１匹の子羊も欲しかったのに、農夫たちが急にやってきて、おれをめちゃくちゃにぶちやがった。」と狼は言いました。狐は「どうしてあなたはそんな食いしん坊なんですか？」と言いました。
次の日、二人はまた田舎に行きました。食い意地のはってる狼は、もう一度「赤狐、何か食べ物をとってこい、でないとお前自身を食っちまうぞ」と言いました。すると狐は「奥さんが今夜パンケーキを焼いている農家を知っています。私たちのためにいくらか手に入れましょう。」と狐は答えました。二人はそこへ行き、狐は家の周りをそろりそろり回り、覗いて、かぎ回って、とうとう料理がどこにあるか発見しました。それで、６個のパンケーキをつかむと狼のところへもっていきました。「あなたの食べ物ですよ。」と言って立ち去りました。狼はあっと言う間にパンケーキをのみ込んで「もっと欲しくなったな。」と言いました。そしてそこへ行き、皿ごと下に引っ張ったのでこなごなに壊れてしまいました。それで大きな音がしたので、その奥さんが出てきて、狼を見るとうちの人たちを呼びました。その人たちはそこに急いで来て、棒がバラバラになるまで狼を打ちました。
とうとう狼は２本の足をひきずり、大声でうめきながら、森の狐のところへ戻りました。「よくもこっぴどくおれをだましたな。農夫たちがおれをつかまえ、皮がむけるほどぶったぞ。」と狼が言うと、狐は「どうしてそんなに食いしん坊なんですか。」と答えました。
３日目二人は一緒に出かけ、狼は痛そうにただ足をひきずってきていましたが、また「赤狐、何か食べ物をとってこい、でないとお前自身を食っちまうぞ」と言いました。「ずっと殺しをしていた男を知っています。地下室の樽に塩漬けの肉があります。それをもらいましょう。」と狐は答えました。「お前がやるときおれが行く。だからおれが逃げられなければお前が手伝え。」と狼は言い、「喜んで」と狐は答えました。そしてわき道や道を教えて、とうとう地下室に着きました。
肉はたくさんあり、狼はすぐ食べ始めましたが、「出て行かなければいけないときまで、たっぷり時間があるぞ」と思いました。狐も肉が好きでしたが、あちこち見回し、ときには自分たちが入ってきた穴まで走っていき、体がその穴にもぐりこめるくらいまだ細いか確かめました。狼は「狐よ、お前どうしてそんなにあちこち走り回ったり、跳んで出たり入ったりしてるんだ？」と言いました。「だれもこないのをたしかめなくちゃいけないんだ。食べ過ぎないで。」と悪賢いやつは答えました。すると狼は「おれは樽がからになるまで出て行かないよ。」と言いました。
その間に農夫は狐が跳びはねている音を聞いて地下室にやってきました。狐は農夫をみると、一ッ跳びで穴の外にでました。狼は狐の後に続こうとしましたが、食べてとても太くなっていたので、もう通り抜けられなくて、しっかり挟まってしまいました。それで農夫はこん棒を持ってやってきて、狼を打ち殺しました。しかし狐は森へ逃げ込み、古馴染みの食いしん坊とおさらばできて喜びました。