Father Bruin in the Corner

Once upon a time, there was a man who lived deep, deep in the forest. He had many goats and sheep, but he could not keep a single one because of Graylegs, the wolf.

At last he said, "I'll soon trap Grayboots," and he set to work digging a pitfall. When he had dug it deep enough, he placed a pole in the middle of the pit. On top of the pole, he set a board, and on the board he put a little dog. Over the pit, he spread branches, leaves, and other rubbish, and on top of all, he scattered snow, so that Graylegs would not see the pit underneath.

As night fell, the little dog grew tired of sitting there. "Bow-wow, bow-wow," it said, and bayed at the moon. Just then, a fox came slinking by, thinking it was a fine time for hunting.

With a jump, he went head over heels into the pitfall.

Later in the night, the little dog grew weary and hungry and began to yelp and howl: "Bow-wow, bow-wow." At that very moment, Graylegs came trotting along, thinking he would get a fat steak. He, too, made a spring and went head over heels into the pitfall.

Towards dawn, it began to snow with a north wind. The little dog froze and shivered. It was so weary and hungry that it called out, "Bow-wow, bow-wow," and barked and howled. Then a bear came tramping along, thinking he could get a morsel for breakfast. He thought among the branches until he, too, went bump, head over heels into the pitfall.

Later in the morning, an old beggar woman came toddling from farm to farm with a bag on her back. When she saw the little dog howling, she could not help going near to see if any wild beasts had fallen into the pit during the night. She crawled up on her knees and peered down.

"Have you finally fallen into the pit, Reynard?" she said to the fox, for he was the first she saw. "A very good place for a hen-house robber like you. And you, Graypaw," she said to the wolf, "many a goat and sheep have you torn. Now you shall be punished. Bless my heart! You too, Bruin? Are you sitting in this room, horse-flayer? We will strip you and flay you, and your skull will be nailed to the wall." As she bent over towards the bear, her bag fell over her ears and dragged her down. Slap! Down went the old crone, head over heels into the pitfall.

So there they all sat, glaring at each other in four corners: the fox in one, Graylegs in another, Bruin in a third, and the old crone in a fourth.

As soon as it was broad daylight, Reynard began to twist and turn, thinking he might get out. But the old woman cried out, "Can't you sit still, you whirligig thief, and stop twisting and turning? Just look at Father Bruin in the corner, sitting as grave as a judge." For now she thought she might as well make friends with the bear. But just then, the man who owned the pitfall came. First, he pulled up the old woman, and after that he killed all the beasts, sparing neither Father Bruin in the corner, nor Graylegs, nor Reynard, the whirligig thief. That night, at least, he thought he had made a good catch.