ANIMAL FRIENDS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 152, 17 September 1927, Page 27 (Supplement)

ANIMAL FRIENDS

AN OLD FABLE * There was once a Serbian nobleman who was so poor that he had nothing left but an empty castle, a, handsome horse, and his hunting gear. One day, as he was returning with a stag he had killed, a fox suddenly appeared beside him, and said: Pray, sir, let me enter your service. i could guard your noble horse when you have to leave it tethered. The huntsman laughed, and let he** come home with him. He was very skilful in the chase, so that there was always enough to eat. and in the cold winter he made huge fires of brushwood. In fact, her new life seemed like Paradise to the poor little fox. who had been hungry and half-frozen and hunted many a time in her life.

Whenever she visited her old acquaintances she gossiped about her good situation, with the result that all sorts of beasts were continual y arriving and asking the youth to be their master. Among others there was a bear, a wolf, and a kumrekusha —a huge bird that could carry off a horse in its talons. All these creatures were devoted to the kindly youth who Jed them, gave them shelter, and took The sharp, painful thorns out of their pads. When they had served him for some time they held a meeting to decide what they should give him for h.s birthday present. They decided that a wife would be the best thing, and settled on a certain beautiful princess. One day. when this damsel was walking in her garden, the kumrekusha swooped down out of a tree and carried her off. The princess was quite satisfied with her wonderful castle, and was as happy as the day is long: but her father was in despair. He offered a huge reward for the recovery of his child. Now, there was an old witch living in the capital who was tired of mixing love potions and sleeping draughts, and was desperately afraid of being burned at the stake. She thought: “If I can win this reward I shall be able to re - tire, and be a respectable person.” So she never ceased her efforts till sho discovered the whereabouts of the princess. One day, as she walked in the forest, the princess found an old gipsy woman sitting on a carpet. They exchanged greetings, and the stranger cleverly turned the conversation into a series of stories. The princess listened, and listened, till she was tired of standing. She sat down at last by the side of this entertaining old woman. Then the witch slashed the carpet with a whip, and it rose in the air and carried them off to the king’s palace. Ris majesty was delighted, and if the princess had any thought of wandering back to her husband on foot it was no use, for the king had her shut up in a tall tower lest she should be carried off again. The nobleman was so miserable that he lay in bed, and did not go hunting for two days. The animals had no supper. They all said that something must be done to end this state of affairs.

The next day the princess looked out of her window, and saw a beautiful cat playing with the dead leaves on the green sward. She sent her maids of honour to catch it, but puss would not be caught. There never was so frisky and playful a cat. At lasi: the princess came out of her tower, crying impatiently: “Let me try!’* Once more the kumrekusha swooped out of a tree and caught her up, while the fox. who was really the cat in disguise, took to her heels, with all the king’s greyhounds and men-at-arms in full cry after her. Then the king was so angry at the part the ar.imals had played in his daughter’s elopement that he vowed to kill every beast in the land, big and little, wild and tame, except his cavalry horses. Accordingly be set off for the forest with his army. Meanwhile the apimals had banded '.hemselves together under the generalship of the fox. When the royal army halted for the night after the first day’s* march, all the mice in thp land nibbled through the bridles and the ropes that drew the cannon. However, the king sent back to the city for new ones, and once more set off in pursu.t of his enemies.

When he was encamped the next night all the moles in the land mined the earth round about. On the morrow', when they tried to muster for the attack, the soldiers sank strusK'tog into the soft earth, while all the birds in the land dropped stones on them from above. The king was slain, the princess and her husband inherited the throne: and if anyone ill-used an animal during their reign he was placed in the stocks, ducked in the ducking-stool. md locked in the lock-up till he was sorry for his misdeed.