The Fox that Won't Laugh
It was a snowy evening. A young fox was returning from his hunt to this cave. He was hungry for he was unable to hunt any creature on that day. As he looked for food here and there, a drift of pleasant smell attracted him. He sniffed and looked around. There came a hunter pulling his sledge. As he came nearer the fox detected the sledge contained a pot of meat. He ran towards the hunter and said, "Sir! Why do you pull your sledge when God had created creatures like me to do that job? Harness me to your sledge and sit on it comfortably. I'll pull the sledge for you." The hunter, pleased with the proposal, agreed. The little fox drew the sledge with his might and main, thinking deeply about a way to eat the meat. An idea flashed in his mind. He slipped his paw into a crack on the snow and fell down and howled at the top of his voice. "What happened, you nice little creature?" the hunter asked, bending anxiously over the fox. "My good sir! I have fractured my leg. What a pain it gives me!" cried the fox. "Then take rest here. I'll move on. It is getting dark and I should find a place to pitch a tent."
"Kind sir! Have pity on me. If you leave me at this stage the wild animals will tear me to pieces. Save me please," cringed the fox. The kind-hearted hunter took pity on the little creature. He put him on the sledge. As the hunter moved on, searching for a good place to pitch his tent, the fox gulped half of the meat he found in the pot. Then, like a goody-goody fox, he lay moaning softly. Before it was night, the hunter found a lovely spot and stopped to pitch his tent. First, he lighted a fire. "I'll wait here guarding your goods and the sledge. You can go and cut poles for your tent." said the fox. The hunter thanked the fox and set off to fetch poles. The fox got busy to empty the pot of its content. The last chunk of the meat had a stick of bone in it. A hurried bite claimed a tooth of the fox. But that was not a high price for the excellent treat. He finished and escaped. A little later the hunter returned. His fire had extinguished. The fox was not to be seen. Above all, he was shocked to see his meat pot upturned. He picked up the empty pot and found something that went rattle-rattle at its bottom. It was a broken tooth of the young cheat. The hunter understood how the tooth came into it. "You have taught me a good lesson, cunning little fox! Now it is my turn to teach you," grumbled the hunter. In the morning the hunter took nothing but his hatchet and set off following the track of the young thief. On his way, he gathered tiny fruits, peas, nuts, and berries for his food and stuffed them into his hat, pockets, and mittens.
He went on and on keeping a close look at the track. The track took the hunter into a little grove and there he found a skulk of foxes, big and small, old and young. They welcomed the hunter and served him with peanuts. The hunter, while eating, stole glances at all the foxes. But he was unable to make out the culprit for all the young foxes had invariably reddish-yellow fur and were all very much alike. "Entertain us with a good story, sir!" requested an old fox. The hunter grabbed at the opportunity. "A story... a good story. Why not? Listen," said the hunter. The young thief became very alert, And as the hunter opened his mouth, the guilty fox pressed his lips and kept his mouth tightly shut. The hunter began: There once lived a monkey who never washed himself clean. Nits and lice gathered on him and they multiplied. Unable to bear them any longer he sought the advice of a wise owl. "Go and dance. Dance and dance and shake them off. Never stop till you get rid of them all," advised the owl. The monkey obeyed. He danced and danced and all the lice started dropping off him like peas. The hunter paused and resumed, "But let me show you how the monkey danced and the lice fell," He hopped and spun. As he twisted and turned the tiny fruits, peas, nuts, and berries fell from his hat, pockets, and mittens. "You see," continued the hunter, "This is how the nuts and lice dropped off the monkey." The hunter continued his dance and the foxes were rollicking with laughter. He looked stealthily at all the cunning faces around him. There in a corner, he noticed a young fox trying to stomach his laughter.
He moved near the fox and danced. He jumped up and down, hopped higher and higher, twisted hither and thither. And the peas and berries rained on the ground. The young fox who so far tried his best to suppress his laughter, at last, broke into a loud "Ha..Ha..Ha.. hee.. heeee." That was just what the hunter had been waiting for. The fox betrayed himself by laughing and the hunter noticed that it had one tooth missing. He pounced on the culprit. The foxes had been exhausted by their laughter. Now scared by his act, they ran for their lives pell-mell. "At last, I have caught you. Ha..Ha..Haaa," roared the hunter. The fox shivered and pleaded, "My Lord! Have mercy on me. Never in my life shall I cheat anyone. I'll be your slave till I die doing your command!" "You as my slave? No, thanks. I've thrashed you and that is enough. I am to blame for having believed you. However, what if I cut the end of your tail off? So that you never forget the incident!" proposed the hunter. "Please, sir, believe me, I'll never be a rogue again!" cried out the fox. "I don't believe you, nevertheless, I leave you!" said the hunter and he let go of the fox.
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