The Wedding of Mrs. Fox

Once upon a time, there was an old fox with nine tails. He thought his wife might not be faithful, so he decided to test her. He stretched out under the bench, didn't move a muscle, and pretended to be stone dead. Mrs. Fox went upstairs to her room, locked the door, and her maid, Miss Cat, sat by the fire doing the cooking.

When the news spread that old Mr. Fox was dead, suitors came to court Mrs. Fox. Soon the maid heard someone knocking at the front door. She opened it, and there stood a young fox. He said, "What are you doing, Miss Cat? Are you asleep or awake?"

She answered, "I'm not sleeping, I'm awake. Would you like to know what I'm making? I'm boiling warm beer with butter. Won't you come in and have some?"

"No thank you," said the fox. "What is Mrs. Fox doing?"

The maid replied, "She sits all alone, weeping her eyes red because old Mr. Fox is dead."

"Please tell her a young fox is here who would like to marry her." "Of course," said the cat.

The cat went trip-trap up the stairs and knocked on the door. "Mrs. Fox, are you in? There's a suitor at the door." Mrs. Fox asked, "What does he look like? Does he have nine beautiful tails like my late husband?"

"Oh no," said the cat. "He only has one tail."

"Then I won't have him," said Mrs. Fox. So the cat sent the young fox away.

Soon another fox knocked. He had two tails, but Mrs. Fox didn't want him either. More foxes came, each with one more tail than the last, but she turned them all away. Finally, a fox with nine tails arrived. When Mrs. Fox heard that, she said happily to the cat, "Open the doors wide and carry old Mr. Fox outside!"

But just as the wedding was about to begin, old Mr. Fox stirred under the bench. He jumped up, beat all the suitors, and chased them and Mrs. Fox out of the house.

The second story:

When old Mr. Fox was truly dead, the wolf came as a suitor. He knocked, and the cat opened the door. The wolf said, "Good day, Mrs. Cat. What are you making?"

"I'm breaking bread into sweet milk," said the cat. "Would you like to come in and eat?"

"No thank you," said the wolf. "Is Mrs. Fox home?"

The cat said, "She's upstairs, mourning because old Mr. Fox is dead."

The wolf said, "If she wants a new husband, she should come downstairs."

The cat ran up the stairs, flicked her tail, and knocked at the door. "Mrs. Fox, are you in? If you want a husband, come down."

Mrs. Fox asked, "Does the gentleman have red stockings and a pointed mouth?" "No," said the cat. "Then he's not for me."

After the wolf came a dog, a stag, a hare, a bear, a lion, and all the forest animals, one after another. But they all lacked something that old Mr. Fox had, and the cat sent them away.

At last, a young fox came. Mrs. Fox asked, "Does he have red stockings and a little pointed mouth?" "Yes," said the cat. "Then let him come up," said Mrs. Fox, and she ordered the cat to prepare the wedding feast.

"Sweep the room clean, open the window, throw out my old man! He brought many fat mice but never thought of his wife—he ate them all himself!"

Then the wedding took place with young Mr. Fox, and there was dancing and joy. And if they haven't stopped, they are still dancing.