Nursery Tales from Many Lands by Eleanor L. and Ada M. Skinner

Peter, Basil, and the Fox

Once upon a time there was an old man and he had a cat and a cock.

The cat became tired of living with the old man and said to the cock, "Let's go into the forest; it's nicer there."

And the cock said, "Very well."

So off they went.

In the forest they found an old hut, and they went there to live. Then the cat went off to find food. While he was away a fox passed the hut and scented the cock. The fox sat down by the hut and began to sing,

"Little cock, little cock,
With the golden comb
And the silken beard,
Look out of the window.
I will give you some porridge
In a painted spoon."	

The cock listened and wondered who was singing so sweetly. So he opened the window and looked out into the road and the fox caught him.

Then the fox trotted off home with the cock in his teeth. The cock became so frightened that he started crying and calling out,

"The fox is carrying me off,
Beyond the thick forests,
Beyond the blue seas,
And beyond the high hills, 
To a far-away country
And to strange lands. 
Pussy cat, brother, 
Save me from him!"

The cat heard the cries of the cock and started after the fox. And when the fox saw the cat coming after him he dropped the cock and ran away. So the cat and the cock ran back to their hut.

The next day the cat went off again to find food. "Now, mind, Brother Peter," he said, "don't trust the fox. Don't open the window or he'll carry you off again, and I shall be far away and shall not hear you."

As soon as the cat had gone, up came the fox. He sat down under the window and began singing,

"Little cock, little cock,

With the golden comb

And the silken beard,

Look out of your window

And I'll give you some peas."

The cock thought he'd like some peas, but he tried hard not to look out of the window.

"That's all very fine," he thought, but you can't deceive me, Mr. Fox."

And the fox kept on singing,

"Look out of your window

And I'll give you some peas—

A whole basketful."

And the cock walked up and down the hut and kept saying to himself,

"I won't look out!

I won't look out!

I won't look out!"

And the fox began singing again,

"Just outside a farmhouse

The hill slopes away,

And there stands a little sledge

That goes driving all alone."

And the cock thought, "What sort of sledge, in all the world, can it be that goes all by itself. I must have a look with the corner of one eye."

But as soon as the cock opened the window the fox snapped him up before he knew what had happened. And however much he cried out for his Brother Basil the cat did not hear him. He was too far away. And the fox carried off the cock beyond the fir-trees and ate him up.

When the cat came home he found the door shut. So he began to run around the hut and call to the cock, saying,

"Open, Brother Peter, and let your Brother Basil come in."

Then he saw that the window was open and that there was no one inside. So he knew that the fox had carried off his Brother Peter, and he started off to look for him. And lo and behold! all he found was some feathers. Then he sat down and wept bitter tears. After that he felt lonely living in the forest without the cock. So he went back to the old man in the village, and wasn't the old man pleased to see him!

Russian Nursery Tale