The Fox and Old Woman Fairy Tale
The Fox and Old Woman Fairy Tale
There once lived an old woman. One day she went to the barn yard to milk her cow. After milking the cow, she put the jug of milk on the ground and went to collect brush wood for kindling. She intended to start a fire with the kindling in order to boil the cow’s milk.
A fox came along and poked her snout into the jug. The fox began drinking the milk. When she saw what the fox was doing, the old woman at tacked the fox with an axe and cut off the fox’s tail. The fox ran away. The fox climbed onto a stone and begged to old woman:
-Grandmother please give me back my tail! I’ll attach it and join my friends.’
The old woman :
-‘If you want your tail, bring me some milk.’
The fox went up to a cow and spoke in a pleasing manner:
-‘Dear, my sweet cow, please give me some milk. If you do, I’ll take the milk to the old woman, and in return she’ll give back my tail. Then I’ll attach my tail and join my friends.’
The cow:
-‘I’ll give you some milk if you bring me some grass.’
The fox went to the field and begged in a pleasing voice:
-‘Field, darling field, please give me some grass. I’ll bring the grass to the cow, who will give me some milk in return. Then I’ll bring the cow’s milk to the old woman, who will give back my tail. I’ll attach the tail and join my friends.’
The field:
-‘If you want some grass, you must bring me some water.’
The fox approached a spring and begged:
-‘Dear little spring, please give me some water. I’ll take the water to the field, and in return the field will give me some grass. I’ll bring the grass to the cow, who will give me some milk. Then I’ll take the milk to the old woman, who will give back my tail. I’ll attach my tail and join my friends.’
The spring:
-‘I’ll give you some water if you bring me a jug in which to put the water,” said the spring.’
Then fox went up to a girl and begged in her soft, flattering voice:
-‘Girl, my dear little girl, please give me a jug. I’ll bring the jug to the spring, which will give me some water. Then I’ll take the water to the field and sprinkle it on the soil so that the field will give me some grass. I’ll bring the grass to the cow, who will give me some milk. Then I’ll take the milk to the old woman, who will give back my tail. I’ll attach the tail and join my friends.’
The girl:
-‘I will give you a jug if you bring me some beads.’
The fox went to a peddler and begged in her pleasing voice:
-‘Oh, peddler, darling peddler, please give me some beads. I’ll bring the beads to the girl, who in return will give me a jug. Then I’ll take the jug to the spring, which will give me water. I’ll take the water to the field and sprinkle it on the soil. In return the field will give me some grass. I’ll take the grass to the cow, who will give me some milk. Then I’ll take the milk to the old woman, who will give back my tail. I’ll attach my tail and join my friends.’
The peddler:
-‘I’ll give you some beads if you bring me an egg.’
The fox went to a hen and begged in her soothing, pleasing voice:
-‘Hen, dear little hen, please give me an egg. I’ll bring the egg to the peddler, who in return will give me some beads. Then I’ll give the beads to the girl, who will give me a jug. I’ll take the jug to the spring, which will give me some water. I’ll take the water to the field and sprinkle it on the soil. Then the field will give me some grass, which I’ll bring to the cow. The cow will give me some milk in return for the grass. I’ll take the milk to the old woman, who will give back my tail. I’ll attach my tail and join my friends.’
The Hen:
-‘If you want an egg, go bring me some grain.’
The fox went to the farmer and begged in her very pleasing voice:
-‘Farmer, dear farmer, please give me some grain. I’ll take the grain to the hen, and in return, the hen will give me an egg. Then I’ll bring the egg to the peddler, who in return will give me some beads. Then I’ll give the beads to the girl, who will give me a jug. I’ll take the jug to the spring, which will give me some water. I’ll take the water to the field and sprinkle it on the soil. Then the field will give me some grass, which field will give me some grass, which I’ll bring to the cow. The cow will give me some milk in return for the grass. I’ll take the milk to the old woman, who will give back my tail. I’ll attach my tail and join my friends.’
The farmer took pity on the fox and gave her a fist ful of grain. Over joyed, the fox brought the grain to the hen. The hen gave the fox an egg, which the fox took to the peddler. In exchange, the peddler gave the fox some beads, which the fox took to the girl. In return, the girl gave the fox a jug. The fox ran with the jug to the spring, which gave the fox some water. The fox sprinkled the water on the field, and in return the field gave the fox some grass. The fox took the grass to the cow, who gave the fox some milk. Then the fox took the milk to the old woman, who gave back the fox’s tail. The fox attached her tail and ran after her friends for join them.
Note: In Zaza culture, this fairy tale version (The Fox and Old Woman Fairy Tale) is The Cat and Old Woman.