“ If we were to remain always in the shell, it would have been better if you had not let us out of it.”
XXX
QUAIL AND HIS MATE
A QUAIL had been late in building his nest in a meadow; and when haying-time came, his Mate was still sitting on her eggs.
Early in the morning the peasants came to the meadow, took off their kaftans, whetted their scythes, and went, one after the other, cutting the grass and lay-ing it in windrows.
The Quail flew up to see what the mowers were doing. When he saw that one peasant was swinging his scythe and had just cut a snake in two, he was rejoiced, flew back to his Mate, and said :
“ Don’t be afraid of the peasants; they have come out to kill our snakes; for a long time there has been no living on account of them.”
But his Mate said :
“ The peasants are cutting grass; and with the grass they cut everything that comes in their way, either a snake or a quail’s nest. I am sick at heart, for I can-not either carry away my eggs, or leave my nest lest they get cold.” ‘
When the mowers reached the quail’s nest, one peas-ant swung his scythe and cut off the mother-bird’s head; but he put the eggs in his pocket, and gave them to his children to play with.
XXXI
COW AND THE GOAT
AN old woman had a Cow and a Goat. The Cow and the Goat went to pasture together. The Cow always turned around when they came after her. The old woman brought bread and salt, gave it to the Cow, and said :
“ Now stand still, little mother, 1 na, na, I will bring you some more; only stand still.”
On the next evening the Goat returned from the pasture before the Cow, spread his legs, and stood before the old woman. The old woman waved her handkerchief at him, but the Goat stood without moving.
He thought that the old woman gave bread to the Cow because she stood still.
The old woman perceived that the Goat did not move away; she took her stick and beat him.
When the Goat went away, the old woman began to feed the Cow again with grain, and to coax her.
“There is no justice in men,” thought the Goat; “I stood stiller than the Cow does, but she beat me.”
He ran to one side, hurried back, kicked over the milk-pail, spilled the milk, and knocked over the old woman.
1 Matushka.
XXXII
FOX’S BRUSH
A MAN met a Fox, and asked her :
“ Who taught you Foxes to deceive dogs with your tails?”
The Fox asked :
“ How do you mean deceive ? We do not deceive the dogs, but merely run from them with all our might.”
The man said :
“ No; you deceive them with your brushes. When the dogs chase you, and are about to seize you, you throw your brushes to one side; the dog makes a sharp turn after it, and then you dash off in another direction.”
The Fox laughed, and said :
“ We do this, not to deceive the dogs, but we only do it so as to dodge; when the dogs chase us, and we see that we cannot run straight, we dodge to one side; and in order that we may dodge to that side, we have to fling our brushes to the other, just as you do the same thing with your hands when you try to turn round when you are running. This is not reason on our Part. God Him-self thought it out when He made us for this reason, that the dogs might not catch all the foxes.”
The End
