by popular demand
The fox as shepherd, or why the fox has a white tip to his tail
(this story is best read aloud, with appropriate voices for the three animals, gruff for the bear, spooky for the wolf, and ingratiating for the fox)
Once there was a woman who went out to hire a shepherd to tend her livestock. On her way she met a bear. "Where are you going, woman?" "I'm out to hire a new shepherd", she said. "I can be your shepherd, why don't you ask me?" said the bear. "Well, can you call the animals to you?" she asked. "How-ah!" called the bear. "Oh no, I certainly don't want to hire you," she replied, and carried on her way.
Next she met a wolf. "Where are you going, woman?" "I'm out to hire a new shepherd", she said. "I can be your shepherd, why don't you ask me?" said the wolf. "Well, can you call the animals to you?" she asked. "Hoo-hoo!" called the wolf. "Oh no, I certainly don't want to hire you" she replied, and carried on her way.
Next she met a fox. "Where are you going, woman?" "I'm out to hire a new shepherd", she said. "I can be your shepherd, why don't you ask me?" said the fox. "Well, can you call the animals to you?" she asked. "Dilly-dally-doo-ee!" called the fox, as sweet as can be. "Yes, you can be my new shepherd!" said the woman, and hired him on the spot.
The first day the fox was a shepherd, he ate up all her goats. The second day he finished up all her sheep, and the third day he ate up all her cows. When he came back home that evening the woman asked him where her livestock was. "The skulls are in the river and the rest is in the woods" he replied. The woman was churning butter at the time, but felt she had to go see what was going on, and while she was away the fox nipped into the churn and ate up all the butter. When the woman came back and saw this she was so furious that she picked up the churn and threw it after the fox, so that the final spatter of cream landed on his tail as he ran away.
And that is why the fox has a white tip to his tail.




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, another story pleeeaaasssee?
