Drip-Drip
In a crooked little hut, there once lived an old man and an old woman. One night, the old man asked the old woman:"Granny, who are you afraid of?"
"There's no one worse than the wolf!"
"I know something scarier than any beast. It's Drip-Drip, which lets the rain drip through the roof. The wolf is nothing compared to it!"
At that time, Cousin Wolf was in the yard and overheard the old man's words. He thought to himself, frightened: "I hope I never meet the terrible Drip-Drip!"
At that very moment, a horse thief sneaked into the yard in the darkness. He mistook the wolf for a horse. He jumped on its back and shouted:
"Steed! Carry me to the forest at once!"
"Oh-ho-ho!" groaned the wolf. "I've been caught by Drip-Drip after all! What will it do to me?"
And he ran as fast as he could. As he raced through the forest, dawn began to break. The horse thief then saw that he wasn't riding a horse but a wolf. Terrified, he jumped off the wolf and fell into a pit. Meanwhile, the wolf kept running. Suddenly, he saw Cousin Fox coming his way.
"Where are you going, Cousin? Why are you running so fast?"
"The terrible Drip-Drop jumped into a pit. He rode me for a long time. Run, Foxy, save yourself! He might saddle you too!"
Cousin Fox took off after him. Along the way, they met White Bunny.
"Stop! Where are you rushing, friends?"
"Quit joking, White Bunny! The terrible Drip-Drop jumped into a pit. He rode me for a long time. Run, brother, save yourself! He might saddle you too!"
"My soul is that of a hero!" replied White Bunny. "Take me there, let me see what this terrible Drip-Drop is!"
Then Cousin Wolf and Fox felt ashamed. They turned back with White Bunny.
"You hold my legs," said the bunny, "and you, Cousin, hold Foxy! Lower me into the pit—I'll take a look at Drip-Drop!"
They lowered the bunny down. The horse thief noticed him and grabbed him by the ears. The bunny trembled. Foxy pulled him. Cousin Wolf pulled Foxy. The horse thief held on tight, tugging at the bunny's ears. Eventually, he let go.
Cousin Wolf and Fox quickly pulled the bunny up.
"Bunny, what's down there under the roots?"
"Your Drip-Drop is still in the pit. His grip isn't very strong. He grabbed me by the ears. I thought I'd pull him out so you could see him too. But he couldn't hold on and let go."
"Your ears are all stretched out!" Cousin Wolf noticed.
"Yes, brother, they're a bit long now!" Cousin Fox agreed.
The bunny laughed and said:
"Such ears suit my heroic soul!" And from that day on, the bunny had long ears.
More fairy tales
