Chapter 2

The next day the old man went off to the field to harrow, and he said to his daughter: "My dear little daughter, bake me a loaf and bring it to me in the field. I will throw three rows of shavings." And the old man went off, throwing the shavings down in three rows, and the bear came and drew them all aside on to the path that led to his den. And the eldest daughter set out, and she, too, came to the bear's den. And the bear saw her and said: "O-ho! here's a third little girl come to see me in my den!" And there they went on living, when one day the eldest sister said: "Bruin, Bruin, I'll bake some pies, and you take them and give them to my daddy to eat." "All right," answered the bear, "I'll take them." And so she popped her youngest sister into a sack, and said: "Here, Bruin, take this to my daddy, and mind, don't you eat it yourself on the way!" And the bear took the sack and set off with it to the old man. And as he went along, he kept saying to himself: "Suppose I sit down on a stump, and suppose I just eat one little pie!" And the youngest daughter in the sack heard him and said: "Don't sit down on a stump, don't! Don't eat a pie, don't!" And the bear thought that this was the eldest sister, and said to himself: "There now, fancy that! I've come a long way, and yet she can still hear me!" And he brought the sack right up to the old man's courtyard, when the dogs all rushed out and began to bark at him! So he flung down the sack and ran off home. And the eldest sister asked him: "Did they make you welcome, Bruin, and give you nice things to eat?" "They didn't give me anything to eat," he answered, "but their welcome was loud enough."

The next day the eldest sister said: "Bruin, take my daddy some more pies to eat!" And she tied up her other sister in the sack, and the bear put it on his back and carried it off into the village. And as he went through the forest he kept saying to himself: "Suppose I sit down on a stump, and suppose I just eat one little pie!" And the second daughter said to him from out of the sack: "Don't sit down on a stump, don't! Don't eat a pie, don't!" And the bear thought: "There now, fancy that! I've come a long way, and yet she can still hear me, and tells me not to eat a pie!" And so he reached the old man's courtyard, and when the dogs went for him that time, they all but worried him to death! So he flung down the sack and ran off home. And the eldest sister asked him: "Did they welcome you warmly, Bruin, and give you plenty to eat?" "It was _such_ a warm welcome, and they gave me so much to eat, that I shan't forget it in a hurry!" he answered.

And the next day the eldest girl said: "I'll bake some more pies, and you take them to my daddy for him to eat." And so she herself sat down in the sack, and the bear carried her off. And as he carried her along he kept saying to himself: "Oh, I _should_ so like to sit down on a stump, and I _should_ so like to eat one little pie!" And the eldest daughter said to him from out of the sack: "Don't sit down on a stump, don't! Don't eat a pie, don't!" And the bear thought: "There now, fancy that! Look at the long way I've come, and yet she can still see and hear me!" And so he brought the sack to the old man, and then the dogs came upon him and all but tore him in bits. And he ran off into the forest without as much as looking round, and the old man began once more to live with his three little daughters.

THE STRAW OX.

Once upon a time there lived an old man and his wife, and one day she said to him: "Make me a straw ox and smear him over with pitch." And he asked: "What for?" And she answered: "Do what I tell you! Never mind what it's for--that's my business!" So the old man made a straw ox and smeared him over with pitch. Then his wife got ready in the early morning and drove the ox to pasture. She sat down under a tree, and began spinning flax and saying to herself: "Feed, feed, ox, on the fresh green grass. Feed, feed, ox, on the fresh green grass!" And she went on spinning and spinning, and fell asleep. Suddenly from out of the thick wood, from out of the dark forest, a bear came running, and ran right up against the ox. "Who in the world are you?" he asked. And the ox answered: "I'm the three-year-old ox, all made of straw and smeared over with pitch." Then the bear said: "Well, if you're smeared over with pitch, give me some to put on my poor torn side." And the ox answered: "Take some!" So the bear seized hold of the ox, when lo and behold! his paw stuck in the pitch. And when he tried to free it with the other paw, that one stuck too. Then he started gnawing with his teeth, and they stuck too. He couldn't tear himself away anyhow. And the old woman woke up and saw the bear stuck fast to the ox. So she ran home and shouted to her husband: "Come along quick, a bear has stuck fast to our ox, hurry up and catch him!" And he came along, took the bear, led him home, and shut him up in the lumber room.

The next day, as soon as the sun rose, the old woman again drove the ox to pasture, and she herself sat down under a tree, and began spinning flax and saying to herself: "Feed, feed, ox, on the fresh green grass of the field! Feed, feed, ox, on the fresh green grass of the field!" And she went on spinning and spinning, and fell asleep. Suddenly from out of the thick wood, from out of the dark forest, a wolf came running, and ran right up against the ox. "Who in the world are you?" he asked. And the ox answered: "I'm the three-year-old ox, all made of straw and smeared over with pitch." Then the wolf said: "Well, if that's so, give me some pitch to put on my poor torn side." And the ox answered: "By all means!" So the wolf tried to take some pitch, when lo and behold! his paw stuck in it. And when he tried to free it, it stuck all the faster. And the old woman woke up and saw the wolf sticking to the ox. So she ran to fetch her husband and said: "Come as quick as you can, there's a wolf stuck to the ox!" And he came and caught the wolf and put him in the cellar.

The next day, before even the sun had risen, the old woman again drove the ox to pasture, and she herself sat down under a tree, and began spinning flax and saying to herself: "Feed, feed, ox, on the fresh green grass! Feed, feed, ox, on the fresh green grass!" And she went on spinning and spinning, and fell asleep.

Suddenly from out of the thick wood, from out of the dark forest, a fox came running, and ran right up against the ox. "What sort of a beast are you?" he asked. And the ox answered: "I'm the three-year-old ox, all made of straw and smeared over with pitch." Then the fox said: "Well then, give me some pitch to rub on my side." And the fox was just going to take some pitch, when he stuck fast and couldn't free himself. And the old woman woke up and saw the fox sticking to the ox. So she ran to fetch her husband, and he came and took the fox and put him in the cellar as well.

The next day the old woman again sat down under the tree to spin her flax while the ox fed, and she began spinning and saying to herself: "Feed, feed, ox, on the fresh green grass! Feed, feed, ox, on the fresh green grass!" And she went on spinning and spinning and fell asleep. Suddenly from out of the thick wood, from out of the dark forest, a grey hare came running and ran right up against the ox. "What sort of beast are you?" he asked. "I'm the three-year-old ox, all made of straw and smeared over with pitch." Then the hare said: "Well then, give me some pitch to rub on my side." "Take some!" answered the ox. And the hare caught hold of him with his teeth, when lo and behold! his teeth stuck fast. He tore and tore, but couldn't tear them free. And the old woman woke up, and ran to fetch her husband, and said: "Come as quick as you can, there's a hare stuck to the ox!" And the old man came, took the hare and flung him into the cellar. Then the old man began to grind his knife, and the bear heard him and asked: "What are you grinding your knife for?" And he answered: "I'm grinding my knife to take the skin off your back and make myself a fur coat out of it." But the bear said: "Oh! don't take the skin off my back! Better let me go free, and I'll repay you handsomely." "Well, mind you do!" answered the old man, and so he let the bear go free, and he ran off into the forest.

The next day the old man again began to grind his knife outside the cellar, and the wolf asked him: "What are you grinding your knife for?" And he answered: "I'm grinding my knife to take the skin off your back and make myself a fur coat out of it." But the wolf said: "Oh! don't take the skin off my back! Better let me go free, and I'll repay you handsomely." "Well, mind you do!" answered the old man, and so he let the wolf too go free. And again he began to grind his knife outside the cellar, and the fox asked him: "What are you grinding your knife for?" And he answered: "I'm grinding my knife to take the skin off your back, and make myself out of it a collar for my fur coat." But the fox said: "Oh! don't take the skin off my back! Better let me go free, and I'll repay you handsomely." "Well, mind you do!" answered he.

Then the hare was left all alone.

And again the old man began to grind his knife, and the hare asked him: "What are you grinding your knife for?" And he answered: "I'm grinding my knife to take the skin off your back, and make myself some fur gloves out of it." But the hare said: "Oh! don't take the skin off my back! Better let me go free, and I'll repay you handsomely." "Well, mind you do!" he answered, and let the hare too go free.

Early the next morning the old man heard someone knocking at the gate, so he asked: "Who's there?" And the answer came: "It's I, the bear, come to pay you my debt." And the old man opened the gate, and there was the bear with a hive of honey he had brought. So the old man took the honey, when again he heard knock-knock at the gate! "Who's there?" he asked, and the answer came: "It's I, the wolf, come to pay you my debt." And there was the wolf with a whole flock of sheep he had driven up. So the old man let the sheep into the yard, when again he heard knock-knock at the gate. "Who's there?" he asked, and the answer came: "It's I, the fox, come to pay you my debt." And there was the fox with a whole farm-yardful of cocks and hens, and ducks and geese. Suddenly there came another knock-knock at the gate. "Who's there?" asked the old man, and the answer came: "It's I, the hare, come to pay you my debt." And he had brought with him a whole heap of cabbages. And the old man and his wife began to live happily together, and always spoke well and kindly of those beasts.

THE FOX AND THE BLACKBIRD.

A fox was walking through the forest when he fell into a deep hole. And there he sat and sat, till all at once he began to feel hungry. He started looking round, but could see nothing. Then he looked up, and there he saw a blackbird in the tree above weaving its nest, and he said: "Mr. Blackbird, Mr. Blackbird, what are you doing?" And the blackbird answered: "I'm weaving my nest." "What are you weaving your nest for?" asked the fox. "To bring up my children in," answered the blackbird. "But I'm going to eat your children," said the fox. "Don't eat my children," answered the blackbird. "Well then, feed me, I'm hungry," said the fox. At that the blackbird began to fret and to worry: how should he feed the fox? Then he flew off into the village, and brought back a chicken for the fox.

And the fox ate the chicken, and after a little he said: "Mr. Blackbird, Mr. Blackbird, you fed me, didn't you?" And the blackbird answered: "Yes." "Well then," said the fox, "give me a drink!" At that the blackbird began to fret and to worry: how was he to get the fox a drink? Then he flew off into the village, and brought back a little pailful of water for the fox.

And the fox had a good drink, and after a little he said: "Mr. Blackbird, Mr. Blackbird, you fed me, didn't you?" And the blackbird answered: "Yes." "And you got me a drink?" "Yes." "Well then," said the fox, "come and pull me out of the hole!" At that the blackbird began to fret and to worry: how could he pull the fox out of the hole? Then he began to gather sticks in the forest and started throwing them into the hole. And he kept throwing them in and throwing them in, till he filled the hole. And the fox climbed up on to the sticks and out of the hole. And when he had climbed out, he lay down right under the tree. And there he lay and lay, and he said to the blackbird: "Look here, you fed me, didn't you, Mr. Blackbird?" And the blackbird answered. "Yes." "And you got me a drink?" "Yes." "And you pulled me out of the hole?" "Yes." "Well then," said the fox, "now make me laugh!" At that the blackbird began to fret and to worry: how should he make the fox laugh? At last he said: "Very well, I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll fly into the village, and you run after me." So they agreed to do that, and the blackbird flew off into the village and perched on the gate of a rich peasant's house, while the fox lay down under the gateway. Then the blackbird began to sing: "Mistress, Mistress, bring a lump of fat! Mistress, Mistress, bring a lump of fat!" And the fox said: "That's fine, let's have it again!" So the blackbird began once more: "Mistress, Mistress, bring a lump of fat! Mistress, Mistress, bring a lump of fat!"

Suddenly from under the gate a dog said angrily: "Wow-wow!" and the fox took to his heels and hopped it into the forest as quick as he could!

And that's all about it.

End of Project Gutenberg's More Russian Picture Tales, by Valery Carrick