Part 18 (1/2)

”A while after he met the beggar-woman.

”'Have you seen my horse and sledge?' said the man.

”'No,' said the beggar-woman, 'but I met the parson lower down yonder; he was surely going to a parish meeting, he drove so fast, and he had a borrowed horse.'

”A while after, the man met the fox.

”'Have you seen my horse and sledge?'

”'Yes! I have,' said the fox, 'and Bruin Goodfellow sat on it and drove just as though he had stolen both horse and harness.'

”'De'il take him,' said the man, 'I'll be bound he'll drive my horse to death.'

”'If he does, flay him,' said Reynard, 'and roast him before the fire!

But if you get your horse again you may give me a lift over the Fell, for I can ride well, and besides, I have a fancy to see how it feels when one has four legs before one.'

”'What will you give for the lift?' said the man.

”'You can have what you like,' said Reynard; 'either wet or dry. You may be sure you'll always get more out of me than out of Bruin Goodfellow, for he is a rough carle to pay off when he takes a fancy to riding and hangs on a horse's back.'

”'Well! you shall have a lift over the Fell,' said the man, 'if you will only meet me at this spot to-morrow.'

”But he knew that Reynard was only playing off some of his tricks upon him, and so he took with him a loaded gun on the sledge, and when Reynard came, thinking to get a lift for nothing, he got, instead, a charge of shot in his body, and so the husbandman flayed the coat off him too, and then he had gotten both Bruin's hide and Reynard's skin.”

BRUIN AND REYNARD PARTNERS.

”Once on a time Bruin and Reynard were to own a field in common. They had a little clearing up in the wood, and the first year they sowed rye.

”'Now we must share the crop as is fair and right,' said Reynard. 'If you like to have the root, I'll take the top.'

”Yes, Bruin was ready to do that; but when they had threshed out the crop, Reynard got all the corn, but Bruin got nothing but roots and rubbish. He did not like that at all; but Reynard said it was how they had agreed to share it.

”'This year I have the gain,' said Reynard; 'next year it will be your turn. Then you shall have the top, and I shall have to put up with the root.'

”But when spring came, and it was time to sow, Reynard asked Bruin what he thought of turnips.

”'Aye, aye!' said Bruin, 'that's better food than corn;' and so Reynard thought also. But when harvest came Reynard got the roots, while Bruin got the turnip-tops. And then Bruin was so angry with Reynard that he put an end at once to his partners.h.i.+p with him.”

REYNARD WANTS TO TASTE HORSE-FLESH.

”One day as Bruin lay by a horse which he had slain, and was hard at work eating it, Reynard was out that day too, and came up spying about and licking his lips, if he might get a taste of the horse-flesh. So he doubled and turned till he got just behind Bruin's back, and then he jumped on the other side of the carca.s.s and snapped a mouthful as he ran by. Bruin was not slow either, for he made a grab at Reynard and caught the tip of his red brush in his paw; and ever since then Reynard's brush is white at the tip, as any one may see.

”But that day Bruin was merry, and called out, ”'Bide a bit, Reynard; and come hither, and I'll tell you how to catch a horse for yourself.'

”Yes, Reynard was ready enough to learn, but he did not for all that trust himself to go very close to Bruin.