The Little Fox Sister

The little fox wanted to enjoy some honey. She had been eating nothing but meat, and she craved something sweet.

"Maybe I should go to the bees," she thought, "and do a little 'housekeeping.'"

She went to the apiary and conveniently sat down in front of a hive, sticking her paw inside to get some honey. But the bees didn’t like that at all: they flew out of the hive and attacked the little fox! Oh, how she ran away from the apiary! She ran, sniffing and complaining about the bees.

"Oh, my goodness! The honey is so sweet, but the bees are so bitter!"

She ran home, her face all swollen, and lay down. She lay there, thinking and thinking, but she still wanted honey.

"I’ll go to the bear," she said. "I’ll ask to live with him—he has plenty of honey." So she went.

"Brother Bear, let me tell you something," she said. But the bear just growled. The little fox said:

"Don’t growl so scarily, Brother Bear, or I’ll get scared... Let’s live together, and I’ll be your housekeeper."

"Alright," said the bear. And so they started living together.

The bear would go hunting, bring back some beef, and there would be enough for both of them. But the little fox still wanted honey.

"Go to the apiary, old man, and bring back some honey!" she said. The bear had no choice, so he brought back honey, dragging two whole hives with him.

"Here," he said, "we’ll eat from one, and we’ll save the other for winter."

They ate and ate, and after some time, they finished the first hive. The other hive was hidden in the attic. The bear wasn’t in a hurry, but the little fox really wanted more honey. She thought and thought about how to get some from the second hive. She wanted to go, but the bear would immediately ask where and why. So she lay there, tapping her tail against the wall. The bear asked:

"What’s that tapping?"

"Oh, they’re inviting me to be a godmother."

"Well, go then; I’ll take a nap."

She went straight to the attic, to that hive, and ate as much as she wanted. Then she returned. The bear woke up:

"So, what did they name your godchild?"

"Patchy."

"What a strange name!"

"Well, that’s what the priest gave. What’s strange about it?"

"Alright, then."

The next day, she lay there again, tapping her tail against the wall.

The bear asked:

"What’s that tapping?"

"They’re inviting me to be a godmother again."

"Well, go then; I’ll take a nap." She went and returned to the hive, but there wasn’t much left. She came back, and the bear woke up and asked:

"So, what did they name your godchild this time?"

"Middle."

The bear said:

"Your godchildren have such strange names!"

The little fox replied:

"What are you talking about, old man? What’s strange about it if there’s even a saint named Wednesday?"

"Maybe you’re right," said the bear.

On the third day, she lay there again, tapping her tail against the wall. The bear asked:

"Who keeps tapping like that?"

"They’re inviting me to be a godmother again."

"Oh, how often they invite you to be a godmother!" said the bear.

"Well, old man, people just like me."

"Fine, go then!"

She went, ate all the honey, even tipped over the hive, and licked it clean.

Then she ran back, lay down, and stayed there. The bear asked:

"So, what did they name your godchild this time?"

"What? Flip it and lick it."

"Wow, such a name has never existed before!"

"What are you making up, old man? Are you a priest to know such things?"

"Well, let it be as you say!"

A little later, the bear said:

"It’s time to enjoy some honey!" He went up to the attic, but the hive was empty.

"Little fox, sister, did you eat it?"

"No, not me!"

"Yes, you did!"

"May I not live to see tomorrow if I ate it!"

"You’re lying, little fox. You weren’t baptizing godchildren—you were eating honey. Now I’ll eat you!"

He went after her, but she ran into the forest and escaped.

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The Little Fox Sister

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