How the Fox-Nun Confessed the Rooster

The fox had visited the peasant's henhouse more than once, eager to feast on some chicken, but she never succeeded. As soon as the rooster heard a rustling, he would start crowing, and the dogs would come running at the sound, chasing the fox away from the yard.

One day, the fox came up with a plan to trick the rooster. The hens were rummaging in the vegetable garden, digging for bugs among the potatoes. The fox disguised herself as a nun, made a rosary out of burrs, and approached the hens. She greeted them:

"Hello, servants of God!"

"Hello, Mother!" replied the hens. "Where has God brought you from?"

"I come from the desert, from the Pyatnitsky Monastery, on my way to the holy mountains to venerate the relics. Come with me."

"No, Mother, we won't leave our home," replied the rooster. "We have no need to pray; we have no sins."

"Oh, you sinner, you godless creature! How dare you say you have no sins? You, rooster, are a great sinner, led astray by the enemy. Think about it—you have so many sins you couldn't even fit them in a sack! How does the Lord God tolerate you? By law, you're only supposed to have one wife, but you have more than ten. For such a great sin, you must visit all the holy places, and even then, you won't atone for all your sins. Aren't you ashamed? Come, I will confess you, and God will forgive half your sins."

The rooster didn't want to approach the fox, but she insisted:

"Why are you hesitating, rooster? I wish you well. Confess, servant of God, or you'll find no place in the afterlife. You'll boil in tar day and night, never escaping for all eternity!"

Frightened by the thought of eternal torment, the rooster agreed to confess. He approached the fox and bowed his head—but she grabbed him by the wings and said:

"You, rooster, are unworthy to live in this world. For your grave sins, I must put you to death, or you'll never atone for your sins and will only lead the hens astray."

Realizing he was in trouble, the rooster began to think of a way to trick the fox.

One by one, the hens ran back to the yard, leaving the rooster captive. He started pleading with the fox:

"Let me go, Mother, I won't sin anymore."

"Why are you fussing, rooster? Does it matter whether you die today or tomorrow?"

"I know we all die once, but here's the thing: all the poultry have agreed to found a convent—the hens, ducks, and geese will become nuns, and they've chosen me as the deacon because of my clear voice. I'd like to serve God; perhaps He will forgive my sins. Besides, the birds have tasked me with finding an abbess. Would you be so kind as to take on that role?"

"Why not? I've been to monasteries; I know their ways."

"Good, then you stay here, Mother, while I go tell the others that we've found an abbess. The churchwarden and his assistant will come for you shortly."

The fox let the rooster go, thinking to herself, "Now I'll feast—none of the birds will escape me!"

The rooster returned to the yard, saw the dogs, and said:

"Run to the garden and see what's going on there! Some nun showed up and tried to strangle me."

The dogs rushed to the garden and headed straight for the fox. Frightened, the fox bolted, shedding her habit, and ran toward the river. She swam across, and the dogs followed. Once on the other side, the fox ran to the cucumber beds, took a hat and coat from a scarecrow, and quickly put them on. She jumped out from behind a bush and shouted:

"Bite! Bite! Catch her! Catch her!"

The dogs asked, "Have you seen the fox?"

"Yes, she just ran that way, into the woods."

The dogs dashed off in pursuit, while the fox hid in the reeds. The dogs sniffed around the woods but found nothing and returned home. Meanwhile, the fox spotted a boat on the shore, climbed in, and rowed down the river. The dogs, returning from their chase, had already crossed the river. The fox, now disguised as a man, asked:

"Well, did you catch the fox?"

"No, we didn't. She disappeared, as if she'd sunk into the water. We couldn't find her anywhere."

The disguised fox said, "You dogs aren't worthy of tearing the fox apart. She's devout, has visited all the monasteries, and has a husband—unlike you, running around in packs. You sinners deserve to be drowned!"

The dogs listened to the fake man's words, then swam on. The fox chased them in the boat, intending to drown them. The dogs, realizing they were too far from shore and too tired to swim, tried to grab onto the boat. But the fox beat them away with an oar, and they struggled in the water until they drowned. The fox rowed to shore, climbed out of the boat, and headed home.

That night, the fox returned to the henhouse, emboldened now that the dogs were gone. She approached the henhouse and saw the hens perched high, motionless and fast asleep. The fox lingered until dawn, when the rooster woke up and crowed:

"Cock-a-doodle-doo!"

The fox didn't enter the henhouse but called from around the corner:

"Rooster, are you awake?"

"Yes."

"Then fly down to me, and I'll tell you how we punished your enemy yesterday. You probably thought it was a nun, but no. Come, I'll tell you everything."

Still half-asleep, the rooster thought he was talking to a dog and boldly flew down from his perch, stepping out of the henhouse. But instead of a dog, he found the fox. The fox grabbed the rooster by the throat and dashed out of the yard toward the gardens and beyond.

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How the Fox-Nun Confessed the Rooster

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