  The snow had fallen heavily, and some of the sheep were missing. The two moujiks put on their warm sheepskin clothes and went to look for them, taking Watch, the sheep-dog, with them. The starosta sat in the house, making a plough-handle out of a tree-branch which he had cut down one day long ago because he saw it was the right shape for a plough-handle in case he should ever need a new one. The little boy gathered up the shavings that fell from under the long, two-handled knife. He played with them until he was tired of them, and then he gathered them all in the skirt of his shirt and carried them to his grandmother’s room. “I have brought you some shavings to make you warm, grandmother,” he said. His grandmother opened the stove-door, where the fire was smouldering, carefully covered up, for fuel is dear. The little boy put his shavings in, one by one, and watched them as they slowly caught fire and broke into a blaze. When they were all burned up he went and stood by his grandmother. “Did they make you warm, little grandma?” he asked. “Nice and warm,” answered the grandmother. “Now, what can I do for you in thanks?” “A story, a story!” cried the little boy, climbing upon the stove to be comfortable. And the grandmother told the story of THE BEAR, THE BOAR, AND THE FOXA Bear, a Boar, and a Fox once went into partnership to till a field and raise some wheat, that they might earn their bread honestly. “I will be the sower,” said the Bear; and Reinecke added, “I will spread the earth over the seed with my tail.” So the field was ploughed and the seed sown. By and by came harvest-time, and the friends took counsel together as to the reaping. Said the Boar, “I will cut the grain.” Said the Bear, “I will bind the sheaves.” And the Fox said, “I will glean the scattered ears.” The grain was cut and the sheaves set up. The next thing was the threshing. Said the Boar, “I will provide the threshing-floor.” “I will carry the sheaves,” said the Bear, “and will do the threshing into the bargain.” “I’ll shake out the sheaves,” said the Boar, “and break off the ears from the stalks.” “I will clear away the chaff with my tail,” said the Fox. “I will winnow the grain,” said the Boar, “and separate the straw from the wheat;” and Gossip Petz added, “And I will attend to the dividing.” And so the grain was threshed. Next came the Bear to do the dividing, but he was neither fair nor honest, for he gave the Boar all the straw and kept all the grain for himself, not leaving the least thing for the Fox. At this Reinecke flew into a rage and threatened them both with the law, saying he would bring the emperor’s officer to divide it all fairly and squarely. Away he went for the officer, leaving the Boar and the Bear greatly terrified. Said Master Petz to the Boar, “Just bury yourself in the straw, my child, while I clamber up into yonder pear-tree.” The Boar at once vanished under the straw, while the Bear scrambled up into the pear-tree. Meanwhile Reinecke set out, and on the way he met a Cat, whom he invited to come The Cat gladly accepted the invitation, for she full well knew that there are plenty of mice in a threshing-floor; but on the way she kept hunting birds in the bushes along the roadside. The Bear, who was watching from the pear-tree, espied her from afar, and called down to the Boar: “We are in a pretty scrape, dear Boar, for here comes Master Reinecke and a fearful monster with him. He wears the fur coat of a Marten and is killing birds upon the wing all along the way.” By this time the Bear lost sight of the Cat, which had reached the threshing-floor under cover of the grass, and was creeping about in the straw in search of mice. Full of curiosity, the Boar stuck his head out a little way to see what was going on; when the Cat, mistaking his snout for a mouse, sprang forward and buried her claws in it. So Master Reinecke got all the grain and the straw into the bargain. “I am glad he got it all,” said the little boy. “It wasn’t fair of Petz and the Boar to serve Reinecke that way.” “Master Reinecke is generally able to look out for himself,” said the grandmother. |
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