Once upon a time there lived an old man and an old woman. Once the man said to the woman:
‘Listen, Granny, I will go fishing. You stay at home and cook something.’
‘Good’ said the old woman.
The old man went fishing. He caught a lot of fish. At the same time, a fox was hiding nearby in the bushes watching him. The fox was looking at the old man wondering: ‘Ah, Lord, will I be able to take the fish from this stupid old man?’
The man filled the cart with fish and went home. The cunning fox lay across the road pretending she was dead. The old man got off the cart and approached the fox. He kicked her and said to himself:
‘She is dead! Now I will take home not only fish, but a fur-coat for my granny, as well!’
He took the fox and put her above the fish in the cart behind. When he continued his way the fox started to throw fish from the card: one by one, she left it empty.
The old man reached the house and cried to his wife:
‘Granny, Granny, open the door for I have brought you not only fish but a fur-coat, as well! Throw your old one and burn it into the fire!
The poor old woman felt so happy that she immediately threw the old fur-coat into the fire and opened the door. But what she was to see then: no fur-coat, no fish, nothing!
Meanwhile, the fox got out of the cart, gathered the fish, and carried it to her den. She lined it under the ceiling to get dry. Suddenly Brer Wolf appeared knocking on the door.
‘Who is knocking out there?’ the fox asked.
‘It’s me, Brer Fox. Open the door!’ the wolf answered.
The fox was afraid of the strong wolf and opened the door. She did not however want to share the fish with the wolf, so she told him:
‘Don’t raise your eyes, Brer Wolf. I have a lot of dust and it might fall into your eyes.’
‘Well, Brer Fox’ agreed the wolf.
He sat on a chair but a thought was bothering him: ‘What is Brer Fox hiding, so that she does not want me to look at the ceiling?’
‘Brer Fox, the wolf said, I am thirsty! Bring me some water, please!’
The fox went to bring water, the wolf looked at the ceiling, and saw the fish.
‘O-o Brer Fox, the wolf cried, is this what you are hiding from me? Give me one to try it!’
The fox had no choice and gave him one.
‘Give me another one!’
The fox gave him another one. One by one, the fish started rapidly to decrease. Then the cunning fox said:
‘Look, Brer Fox, this fish I caught from the river myself. Let me take you there and learn you how to fish yourself!’
The wolf took a basket and they both went to the river.
‘Now, the fox said, make a hole in the ice, tied the basket for your tail, and put it into the hole.’
The wolf did as she said. It was very cold. The basket filled with water and froze. The wolf got scared: ‘Oh, my God, the people will come and kill me! Oh, my God, the dogs will come and eat me!’ He started to draw himself aside, tore his tail, and ran. The fox saw him approaching. She started to think what to do and being a dodger she suddenly decided. She spread water on her head, ran to a water-mill, and put her head into the flour. As a result her head was covered all over with butter. She went out and started to shiver and cry. The wolf asked her as he saw her:
‘Ah, Brer Fox, what has happened to you?’
‘Oh, Brer Wolf, the people have beaten me and now I can’t go home’
‘Climb on my back and I will carry you home!’
They went on and the fox was whispering to herself: ‘The sick one carries the healthy one! The sick one carries the healthy one!’ She was making fun of the wolf.
‘What are you saying, Brer Fox?’
‘Oh, Brer Wolf, I mumble incantations to my head for the headache to pass.’
The wolf took her home and she said:
‘I will now, Brer Wolf, bandage your tail and the pain will pass.’
She took tow and bandaged the tail. There was a fire burning in the distance. The fox told the wolf:
‘Listen, Brer Wolf, do you see the fire? Go straight to him! You will speed up from here and jump over the fire! And the tail will heal!
The stupid wolf followed her advice and ran without thinking. He was running, running, and when he jumped over the fire the tow on his tail caught fire. The wolf himself caught fire and burnt together with his stupidity.