The Fox and the Rooster

When the people in the village raised a cry: "Look, look, the fox is carrying off a rooster! It’s Jean Larting’s rooster!"

"Fox," said the rooster, which the fox was holding in its mouth, "why don’t you tell them: 'What’s it to you, you scoundrels?'"

As soon as the wicked fox slightly opened its mouth, the rooster flew back to its owner.

"Ugh!" said the fox, terribly embarrassed by such a disgrace, "I’d rather lose my tail!" At that very moment, one of the peasants struck the fox hard with an axe and cleanly chopped off its tail, right down to its rear.

"What a place!" cried the fox, running away as fast as it could. "They don’t understand jokes here!"

More fairy tales

• The Shepherd and the Dragon
• Beautiful Jeanneton
• The Tale of the Thirteen Flies
• The Golden Dragoon
• The Little Cabbage Head That Just Wouldn't Grow