More Russian Picture Tales | Page 9

of honey he had brought. So the old man took
the honey, when again he heard knock-knock at the gate! "Who's
there?" he asked, and the answer came: "It's I, the wolf, come to pay
you my debt." And there was the wolf with a whole flock of sheep he
had driven up. So the old man let the sheep into the yard, when again
he heard knock-knock at the gate. "Who's there?" he asked, and the
answer came: "It's I, the fox, come to pay you my debt." And there was
the fox with a whole farm-yardful of cocks and hens, and ducks and
geese. Suddenly there came another knock-knock at the gate. "Who's
there?" asked the old man, and the answer came: "It's I, the hare, come
to pay you my debt." And he had brought with him a whole heap of
cabbages. And the old man and his wife began to live happily together,
and always spoke well and kindly of those beasts.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
[Illustration]

THE FOX AND THE BLACKBIRD.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
A fox was walking through the forest when he fell into a deep hole.
And there he sat and sat, till all at once he began to feel hungry. He
started looking round, but could see nothing. Then he looked up, and
there he saw a blackbird in the tree above weaving its nest, and he said:
"Mr. Blackbird, Mr. Blackbird, what are you doing?" And the blackbird
answered: "I'm weaving my nest." "What are you weaving your nest
for?" asked the fox. "To bring up my children in," answered the
blackbird. "But I'm going to eat your children," said the fox. "Don't eat
my children," answered the blackbird. "Well then, feed me, I'm
hungry," said the fox. At that the blackbird began to fret and to worry:

how should he feed the fox? Then he flew off into the village, and
brought back a chicken for the fox.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
And the fox ate the chicken, and after a little he said: "Mr. Blackbird,
Mr. Blackbird, you fed me, didn't you?" And the blackbird answered:
"Yes." "Well then," said the fox, "give me a drink!" At that the
blackbird began to fret and to worry: how was he to get the fox a drink?
Then he flew off into the village, and brought back a little pailful of
water for the fox.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
And the fox had a good drink, and after a little he said: "Mr. Blackbird,
Mr. Blackbird, you fed me, didn't you?" And the blackbird answered:
"Yes." "And you got me a drink?" "Yes." "Well then," said the fox,
"come and pull me out of the hole!" At that the blackbird began to fret
and to worry: how could he pull the fox out of the hole? Then he began
to gather sticks in the forest and started throwing them into the hole.
And he kept throwing them in and throwing them in, till he filled the
hole. And the fox climbed up on to the sticks and out of the hole. And
when he had climbed out, he lay down right under the tree. And there
he lay and lay, and he said to the blackbird: "Look here, you fed me,
didn't you, Mr. Blackbird?" And the blackbird answered. "Yes." "And
you got me a drink?" "Yes." "And you pulled me out of the hole?"
"Yes." "Well then," said the fox, "now make me laugh!" At that the
blackbird began to fret and to worry: how should he make the fox laugh?
At last he said: "Very well, I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll fly into the
village, and you run after me." So they agreed to do that, and the
blackbird flew off into the village and perched on the gate of a rich
peasant's house, while the fox lay down under the gateway. Then the

blackbird began to sing: "Mistress, Mistress, bring a lump of fat!
Mistress, Mistress, bring a lump of fat!" And the fox said: "That's fine,
let's have it again!" So the blackbird began once more: "Mistress,
Mistress, bring a lump of fat! Mistress, Mistress, bring a lump of fat!"
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
Suddenly from under the gate a dog said angrily: "Wow-wow!" and the
fox took to his heels and hopped it into the forest as quick as he could!
[Illustration]
And that's all about it.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
[Illustration: Work is just as good as leisure, when we want to give
pleasure.]

End of Project Gutenberg's More Russian Picture Tales, by Valery
Carrick
*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MORE
RUSSIAN PICTURE TALES ***
***** This file should be named 23462.txt or 23462.zip ***** This
and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
http://www.gutenberg.org/2/3/4/6/23462/
Produced