The Cat and the Fox

Once upon a time, there lived a man. This man had a cat, but the cat was such a mischief-maker that it drove him crazy! The cat annoyed him to no end. So, the man thought and thought, then took the cat, put it in a sack, and carried it into the forest. He brought it there and left it in the woods to perish.

The cat wandered and wandered until it came across a little hut. It climbed up to the attic and settled there. Whenever it got hungry, it would go into the forest, catch some birds or mice, eat its fill, and then return to the attic, carefree and content!

One day, the cat went out for a walk, and a fox came across its path. The fox saw the cat and was amazed: "I've lived in this forest for so many years, and I've never seen such a creature!"

The fox bowed to the cat and asked:
"Tell me, good fellow, who are you? How did you come here, and what is your name?"
The cat fluffed up its fur and replied:
"My name is Kotofey Ivanovich. I have been sent from the Siberian forests to be your governor."
"Ah, Kotofey Ivanovich!" said the fox. "I had no idea about you, I didn't know. Well, come visit me!"

The cat went with the fox. She brought him to her den and began treating him to various game, all the while asking:
"Kotofey Ivanovich, are you married or single?"
"Single."
"And I, the fox, am a maiden. Marry me!"
The cat agreed, and they began feasting and making merry.

The next day, the fox went out to gather provisions, and the cat stayed home. The fox ran around and caught a duck. As she was carrying it home, a wolf met her:
"Stop, fox! Give me the duck!"
"No, I won't give it to you!"
"Well, I'll take it by force."
"I'll tell Kotofey Ivanovich, and he'll have you killed!"
"Who is this Kotofey Ivanovich?"
"Haven't you heard? Kotofey Ivanovich has been sent from the Siberian forests to be our governor! I used to be a maiden fox, but now I'm the governor's wife."
"No, I haven't heard, Lizaveta Ivanovna. How can I see him?"
"Ugh! Kotofey Ivanovich is so fierce: anyone who displeases him, he'll eat them right away! You go and prepare a ram, bring it as an offering. Put the ram in a visible spot, but hide yourself so the cat doesn't see you, or else, brother, you'll be in trouble!"
The wolf ran off to fetch a ram, and the fox went home.

As the fox walked, she met a bear:
"Stop, fox, who are you carrying that duck for? Give it to me!"
"Go away, bear, or I'll tell Kotofey Ivanovich, and he'll have you killed!"
"Who is this Kotofey Ivanovich?"
"He's the one sent from the Siberian forests to be our governor. I used to be a maiden fox, but now I'm the wife of our governor, Kotofey Ivanovich."
"Can I see him, Lizaveta Ivanovna?"
"Ugh! Kotofey Ivanovich is so fierce: anyone who displeases him, he'll eat them right away. You go and prepare a bull, bring it as an offering. But be careful: put the bull in a visible spot, and hide yourself so Kotofey Ivanovich doesn't see you, or else you'll be in trouble!"
The bear went off to fetch a bull, and the fox went home.

Soon, the wolf brought a ram, skinned it, and stood there pondering. He looked up and saw the bear approaching with a bull.
"Greetings, Mikhailo Ivanovich!"
"Greetings, brother Levon! Have you seen the fox with her husband?"
"No, Mikhailo Ivanovich, I'm waiting for them myself."
"Why don't you go and call them?" said the bear to the wolf.
"No, I won't go, Mikhailo Ivanovich. I'm not quick on my feet; you'd better go."
"No, I won't go, brother Levon. I'm too big and clumsy; I can't manage it."
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a hare came running.

The wolf and the bear shouted at him:
"Come here, you long-eared one!"
The hare crouched down, ears tucked back.
"You, hare, are quick and nimble: run to the fox and tell her that Mikhailo Ivanovich the bear and Levon Ivanovich the wolf are ready and waiting for her and her husband, Kotofey Ivanovich, to come and accept their offerings of a ram and a bull."

The hare dashed off to the fox's den as fast as he could. Meanwhile, the bear and the wolf started thinking about where to hide.
The bear said:
"I'll climb up a pine tree."
The wolf replied:
"But where will I go? I can't climb trees. Hide me somewhere."
The bear hid the wolf in the bushes, covering him with dry leaves, then climbed up the pine tree to the very top, keeping an eye out for Kotofey Ivanovich and the fox.

Meanwhile, the hare reached the fox's den:
"Mikhailo Ivanovich the bear and Levon Ivanovich the wolf sent me to say they are waiting for you and your husband and want to offer you a bull and a ram."
"Go, long-ears, we'll be there soon."

So, the cat and the fox set off. The bear saw them and said to the wolf:
"How small this governor Kotofey Ivanovich is!"
The cat immediately pounced on the bull, fluffed up its fur, and began tearing at the meat with its teeth and claws, growling as if angry:
"Meow, meow!.."
The bear said to the wolf again:
"He's small but voracious! The four of us couldn't eat that much, but for him, it's not enough. He might come after us next!"

The wolf also wanted to see Kotofey Ivanovich, but he couldn't see through the leaves. So, he began quietly brushing the leaves aside. The cat heard the rustling and thought it was a mouse. It pounced and sank its claws right into the wolf's snout.

The wolf was terrified, jumped up, and ran for his life. The cat, frightened itself, climbed up the tree where the bear was sitting.
"Well," thought the bear, "he's seen me!" There was no time to climb down, so the bear just fell out of the tree, bruising his ribs, jumped up, and ran off.

The fox shouted after them:
"Run, run, or he'll tear you apart!.."
From that day on, all the animals began to fear the cat. And the cat and the fox stocked up on meat for the whole winter and lived happily ever after. And they still live like that to this day.

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The Cat and the Fox

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