Hello there,
Thank you so much for joining me for this special Fox edition of Grimm's Fairy Tales.
We'll be hearing another couple of the Grimm's Fairy Tales here,
The Wedding of Mrs Fox and The Fox and the Horse.
As perhaps you know,
The Grimm's Fairy Tales were a collection Collected up by the brothers Grimm,
Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm,
And it was published back in the early 1800s.
And that original volume had more than 200 different folk and fairy tales that they had collected up around Germany.
If you enjoy these Grimm's Fairy Tales,
You can certainly also look for the playlist that I have.
Where all of the different Grimm's Fairy Tales that I have read are gathered together in one place.
There are more than 50 of them at this point.
But for now,
Let's just take a moment here.
To have a nice.
.
.
And exhale.
Letting go of the day.
Letting go of whichever baggage we might be bringing along with us into this moment.
For right now,
There's nowhere else we have to go,
Nothing else we have to be doing.
So we can just relax.
Get ourselves comfortable and enjoy this special Fox edition of The Grimm's Fairy Tales.
The Wedding of Mrs Fox.
First story.
There was,
Once upon a time,
An old fox with nine tails.
Who believed that his wife was not faithful to him,
And wished to put her to the test.
He stretched himself out under the bench,
Did not move a limb,
And behaved as if he was stone dead.
Mrs Fox went up to her room,
Shut herself in.
And her maid,
Miss Cat,
Sat by the fire and did the cooking.
When it became known that the old fox was dead,
Suitors presented themselves.
The maid heard someone standing at the house door knocking.
She went and opened it.
And it was a young fox who said,
What may you be about,
Miss Cat?
Do you sleep or do you wake?
She answered.
I am not sleeping.
I am waking.
Would you know what I am making?
I am boiling warm beer with butter.
Will you be my guest for supper?
No,
Thank you,
Miss,
Said the fox.
What is Mrs Fox doing?
The maid replied,
She is sitting in her room,
Moaning in her gloom.
Weeping her little eyes quite red.
Because old Mr Fox is dead.
Could you just tell her,
Miss,
That a young fox is here who would like to.
.
.
Woo her?
Certainly,
Young sir.
The cat goes up the stairs.
Trip trap.
The door she knocks at.
Tap,
Tap,
Tap.
Mistress Fox,
Are you inside?
Oh,
Yes,
My little cat,
She cried.
A wooer.
He stands at the door out there.
What does he look like,
My dear?
Has he nine as beautiful tales as the late Mr Fox?
Oh.
No,
Answered the cat.
He has only one.
Then I will not.
Have him.
Miss Cat went downstairs and sent the wooer away.
Soon afterwards,
There was another knock.
And another fox was at the door who wished to woo Mrs Fox.
He had two tails.
But he did not fare better than the first.
After this,
Still more came,
Each with one tail more than the other.
They were all turned away.
Until.
.
.
At last,
One came who had nine tails,
Like old Mr Fox.
When the widow heard that.
She said joyfully to the cat.
Now open the gates and doors all wide.
And carry old Mr Fox outside.
But just as the wedding was going to be solemnised,
Old Mr Fox stirred under the bench.
And cuddled all the rabble and drove them and Mrs Fox out of the house.
Second story.
When old Mr Fox was dead,
The wolf came as a suitor.
And knocked at the door.
And the cat,
Who was servant to Mrs Fox,
Opened it for him.
The wolf greeted her and said,
Good day,
Mrs.
Cat of Kerowit.
How comes it that alone you sit?
What are you making good?
The cat replied,
In milk,
I'm breaking bread so sweet.
Will you be my guest and eat?
No,
Thank you,
Mrs.
Cat.
Answered the wolf.
Is Mrs Fox not at home?
The cat said.
She sits upstairs in her room bewailing her sorrowful doom.
Bewailing her trouble so sore.
For old Mr Fox is No more.
The wolf answered.
If she's in want of a husband now.
Then will it please her to step below?
The cat runs quickly up the stair and lets her tail fly here and there until she comes to the parlour door.
With her five gold rings at the door she knocks.
Are you within,
Good Mistress Fox?
If you're in want of a husband now,
Then.
.
.
Will it please you to step below?
Mrs Fox asked Has the gentleman red stockings on?
And has he a pointed mouth.
No,
Answered the cat.
Then he won't do for me.
When the wolf was gone,
Came.
A dog?
A stag,
A hare,
A bear,
A lion,
And all the beasts of the forest,
One after the other.
Dot.
One of the good qualities which old Mr Fox had possessed was always lacking.
And the cat had continually to send the suitors away.
Length.
Came a young fox.
Then Mrs Fox said,
Has the gentleman red stockings on?
And has a little pointed mouth.
Yes,
Said the cat,
He has.
Then let him come upstairs,
" said Mrs Fox.
And ordered the servant to prepare the wedding feast.
Sweep me the room as clean as you can.
Up with the window.
Fling out my old man.
For many a fine fat mouse he brought,
Yet of his wife he never thought,
But ate up every one he caught.
Then the wedding was solemnised with young Mr Fox.
And there was much rejoicing and dancing.
And if they have not left off,
They are dancing still.
The fox and the horse.
A farmer had a horse that had been an excellent,
Faithful servant to him.
But.
.
.
He was now grown too old to work.
So the farmer would give him nothing more to eat and said,
I want you no longer.
So take yourself off out of my stable.
I shall not take you back again.
Until you are stronger than a lion.
Then he opened the door and.
.
.
Turned him adrift.
The poor horse was very melancholy.
And wandered up and down in the wood.
Seeking some little shelter from the cold wind and rain.
Presently,
A fox met him.
"'What's the matter,
My friend?
' said he.
Why do you hang down your head?
And look so lonely and woe-begone.
Replied the horse.
Justice and avarice never dwell in one house.
My master.
Has forgotten all that I have done for him so many years.
And because I can no longer work.
He has turned me a drink.
And says,
Unless I become stronger than a lion.
He will not take me back again.
What chance can I have of that?
He knows i have none or he would not talk so Who is it?
The fox bid him be of good cheer.
Inside.
I will help you.
Lie down there.
Stretch yourself out quite stiff.
And pretend to be dead.
The horse did as he was told.
And the fox.
Went straight to the lion who lived in a cave close by and said to him,
A little way off lies a dead horse.
Come with me and you may make an effort.
Excellent meal of his carcass.
The lion was greatly pleased and set off immediately.
And when they came to the horse,
The fox said,
You will not be able to eat him comfortably here.
I'll tell you what,
I will tie you fast to his tail and then you can draw him to your den and.
.
.
Eat him at your leisure.
This advice pleased the lion.
So he laid himself down quietly for the fox to make him fast to the horse.
But the fox managed to tie his legs together and bound all so hard and fast that with all his strength he could not set himself free.
When the work was done,
The fox clapped the horse on the shoulder and said,
Jip,
Dobbin,
Jip!
Then up he sprang and moved off,
Dragging the lion behind him.
The beast began to roar and bellow till all the birds of the wood flew away for fright.
But the horse let him sing on and made his way quietly over the fields to his master's house.
Here he is master said he i have got the better of him.
And when the farmer saw his old servant.
His heart relented.
And he said,
Thou shalt stay in thy stable.
And be well taken care of.
And so.
The poor old horse had plenty to eat.
And lived.
To He died.
