Because she is asked for a story that includes animals, and because she recently heard rumors about a farmer in RhyDin who is having difficulties with a vixen, chooses to tell this tale. . .
'Once upon a time there was a mann named Eirik, who had to drive his sledge to the wood for fuel. One day a bear met him along the way.
"Out with your horse," said the bear, "or I will strike all your sheep dead by summer."
"Oh! Heaven help me then," said the mann. "There is not a stick of firewood in my house. You must let me drive home a load of fuel, else we shall be frozen to death. I shall bring the horse to you tomorrow morning."
Now on those terms he might drive the wood home. A bargain was struck. But Bruin said if he did not come back, the mann should lose all his sheep by summer.
So the mann got the wood on the sledge and rattled homewards, but he was not o'erly pleased at the bargain as you may fancy. And just then a fox met him.
"Why, what is the matter?" said the fox. "Why are you so down in the mouth?"
"Oh, if you want to know," said Eirik, "I met a bear up yonder in the wood, and I had to give my word to him to bring Dobbin, my horse, back tomorrow, at this very hour; for if he does not get him, he said he would tear all my sheep to death by summer."
"Stuff, naught worse than that," said the fox. "If you will give me your fattest wether, I will soon set you free from your bargain."
Ja, the mann gave his word, and swore he would keep it too.
"Well, when you come with Dobbin tomorrow for the bear," said the fox, "I will make a clatter up in that heap of stones yonder, and when the bear asks what that noise is, you must say 'tis Peter the Marksman, who is the best shot in the world."
The next day, off set the mann, and when he met the bear, something began to make a clatter up in the heap of stones.
"What is that?" said the bear.
"Oh! That must be Peter the Marksman, to be sure," said the mann. "He is the best shot in the world. I shall know him by his voice."
"Have you seen any bears about here, Eirik?" shouted out a voice in the wood.
"Say No!" said the bear.
"Nei, I have not seen any," said Eirik.
"What is that then that stands alongside your sledge?" bawled out the voice in the wood.
"Say it is an old fir stump," said the bear.
"Oh, tis only an old fir stump," replied Eirik.
"Such fir stumps we take in our country and roll them on our sledges," bawled out the voice. "If you cannot do it yourself, I will come and help you."
"Say you can help yourself, and roll me up on the sledge," said the bear.
"Nei, takk. I can hjelp myself well enough," shouted Eirik, and rolled the bear onto the sledge.
"Such fir stumps we always bind fast on our sledges in our part of the world," bawled out the voice. "Shall I come and help you?"
"Again, say you can help yourself, and bind me fast." said the bear.
"Nei, takk. I can hjelp myself well enough," Eirik repeated, who then set to binding Bruin fast with all the ropes he had, so that at last the bear could not stir a paw.
"Such fir stumps we always drive our axes into in our part of the world," bawled out the voice, "for then we guide them better going down the steep pitches."
"Pretend to drive your axe into me." said the bear.
Then Eirik took up his axe, and at one blow split the bear's skull so that Bruin lay dead. And so the mann and the fox were great friends, and on the best of terms. But when they came near the farm, the fox said, "I have no mind to go right home with you, for I cannot say I like your tykes, so I will just wait here and you can bring the wether to me, but pick out one that is nice and fat."
Ja, the mann would be sure to do that, and thanked the fox much for his help. After he had put up Dobbin in the barn, he went across to the sheep stall.
"Where are you off to, na?" asked his wife.
"Oh!" said Eirik, "I am only going to the sheep stall to fetch a fat wether for that cunning fox who set our Dobbin free. I gave him my word I would."
"Wether, indeed," said his wife, in disgust. "Ne'er a one shall that thief of a fox get. Have not we got Dobbin safe and the bear into the bargain? And as for the fox, I am sure he has stolen more of our geese than the wether is worth. E'en if he has not stolen them, you know he will. Nei, nei. Take a brace of your swiftest hounds in a sack, and slip them loose after him. And then, perhaps, we shall be rid of this robbing Reynard."
Well, the mann thought that godt advice; so he took two fleet red hounds, put them into a sack, and set off with them.
"Have you brought the wether?" asked the fox.
"Ja, come and take it," said Eirik, as he untied the sack and let slip the hounds.
"Huff!" went the fox, and gave a great spring. "True it is what the old saw says, 'Well done is often ill paid.'"
That was what the fox said as he ran off into the woods, and to this day the red fox hounds be at his heels.'
'Once upon a time there was a mann named Eirik, who had to drive his sledge to the wood for fuel. One day a bear met him along the way.
"Out with your horse," said the bear, "or I will strike all your sheep dead by summer."
"Oh! Heaven help me then," said the mann. "There is not a stick of firewood in my house. You must let me drive home a load of fuel, else we shall be frozen to death. I shall bring the horse to you tomorrow morning."
Now on those terms he might drive the wood home. A bargain was struck. But Bruin said if he did not come back, the mann should lose all his sheep by summer.
So the mann got the wood on the sledge and rattled homewards, but he was not o'erly pleased at the bargain as you may fancy. And just then a fox met him.
"Why, what is the matter?" said the fox. "Why are you so down in the mouth?"
"Oh, if you want to know," said Eirik, "I met a bear up yonder in the wood, and I had to give my word to him to bring Dobbin, my horse, back tomorrow, at this very hour; for if he does not get him, he said he would tear all my sheep to death by summer."
"Stuff, naught worse than that," said the fox. "If you will give me your fattest wether, I will soon set you free from your bargain."
Ja, the mann gave his word, and swore he would keep it too.
"Well, when you come with Dobbin tomorrow for the bear," said the fox, "I will make a clatter up in that heap of stones yonder, and when the bear asks what that noise is, you must say 'tis Peter the Marksman, who is the best shot in the world."
The next day, off set the mann, and when he met the bear, something began to make a clatter up in the heap of stones.
"What is that?" said the bear.
"Oh! That must be Peter the Marksman, to be sure," said the mann. "He is the best shot in the world. I shall know him by his voice."
"Have you seen any bears about here, Eirik?" shouted out a voice in the wood.
"Say No!" said the bear.
"Nei, I have not seen any," said Eirik.
"What is that then that stands alongside your sledge?" bawled out the voice in the wood.
"Say it is an old fir stump," said the bear.
"Oh, tis only an old fir stump," replied Eirik.
"Such fir stumps we take in our country and roll them on our sledges," bawled out the voice. "If you cannot do it yourself, I will come and help you."
"Say you can help yourself, and roll me up on the sledge," said the bear.
"Nei, takk. I can hjelp myself well enough," shouted Eirik, and rolled the bear onto the sledge.
"Such fir stumps we always bind fast on our sledges in our part of the world," bawled out the voice. "Shall I come and help you?"
"Again, say you can help yourself, and bind me fast." said the bear.
"Nei, takk. I can hjelp myself well enough," Eirik repeated, who then set to binding Bruin fast with all the ropes he had, so that at last the bear could not stir a paw.
"Such fir stumps we always drive our axes into in our part of the world," bawled out the voice, "for then we guide them better going down the steep pitches."
"Pretend to drive your axe into me." said the bear.
Then Eirik took up his axe, and at one blow split the bear's skull so that Bruin lay dead. And so the mann and the fox were great friends, and on the best of terms. But when they came near the farm, the fox said, "I have no mind to go right home with you, for I cannot say I like your tykes, so I will just wait here and you can bring the wether to me, but pick out one that is nice and fat."
Ja, the mann would be sure to do that, and thanked the fox much for his help. After he had put up Dobbin in the barn, he went across to the sheep stall.
"Where are you off to, na?" asked his wife.
"Oh!" said Eirik, "I am only going to the sheep stall to fetch a fat wether for that cunning fox who set our Dobbin free. I gave him my word I would."
"Wether, indeed," said his wife, in disgust. "Ne'er a one shall that thief of a fox get. Have not we got Dobbin safe and the bear into the bargain? And as for the fox, I am sure he has stolen more of our geese than the wether is worth. E'en if he has not stolen them, you know he will. Nei, nei. Take a brace of your swiftest hounds in a sack, and slip them loose after him. And then, perhaps, we shall be rid of this robbing Reynard."
Well, the mann thought that godt advice; so he took two fleet red hounds, put them into a sack, and set off with them.
"Have you brought the wether?" asked the fox.
"Ja, come and take it," said Eirik, as he untied the sack and let slip the hounds.
"Huff!" went the fox, and gave a great spring. "True it is what the old saw says, 'Well done is often ill paid.'"
That was what the fox said as he ran off into the woods, and to this day the red fox hounds be at his heels.'