Opening, part 6 · page 21 2101All was silent in the village, and not a light was to be seen but that of the moon, which shone bright and clear in the sky.102The wolf and the fox crept softly along, when suddenly they stopped and looked at each other; a savoury smell of frying bacon reached their noses, and reached the noses of the sleeping dogs, who began to bark greedily.103'Is it safe to go on, think you?' asked the wolf in a whisper.104And the fox shook her head.105'Not while the dogs are barking,' said she; 'someone might come out to see if anything was the matter.'106And she signed to the wolf to curl himself up in the shadow beside her.107In about half an hour the dogs grew tired of barking, or perhaps the bacon was eaten up and there was no smell to excite them.108Then the wolf and the fox jumped up, and hastened to the foot of the wall.109'I am lighter than he is,' thought the fox to herself, 'and perhaps if I make haste I can get a start, and jump over the wall on the other side before he manages to spring over this one.'110And she quickened her pace.111But if the wolf could not run he could jump, and with one bound he was beside his companion.112'What were you going to do, comrade?'113'Oh, nothing,' replied the fox, much vexed at the failure of her plan.114'I think if I were to take a bit out of your haunch you would jump better,' said the wolf, giving a snap at her as he spoke.115The fox drew back uneasily.116'Be careful, or I shall scream,' she snarled.117And the wolf, understanding all that might happen if the fox carried out her threat, gave a signal to his companion to leap on the wall, where he immediately followed her.118Once on the top they crouched down and looked about them.119Not a creature was to be seen in the courtyard, and in the furthest corner from the house stood the well, with its two buckets suspended from a pole, just as the fox had described it.120The two thieves dragged themselves noiselessly along the wall till they were opposite the well, and by stretching out her neck as far as it would go the fox was able to make out that there was only very little water in the bottom, but just enough to reflect the moon, big, and round and yellow.121'How lucky!' cried she to the wolf. '122There is a huge cheese about the size of a mill wheel.123Look! look! did you ever see anything so beautiful!'124'Never!' answered the wolf, peering over in his turn, his eyes glistening greedily, for he imagined that the moon's reflection in the water was really a cheese.125'And now, unbeliever, what have you to say?' and the fox laughed gently.126'That you are a woman--I mean a fox--of your word,' replied the wolf.127'Well, then, go down in that bucket and eat your fill,' said the fox.128'Oh, is that your game?' asked the wolf, with a grin. '129No! no!130The person who goes down in the bucket will be you!131And if you don't go down your head will go without you!'132'Of course I will go down, with the greatest pleasure,' answered the fox, who had expected the wolf's reply.133'And be sure you don't eat all the cheese, or it will be the worse for you,' continued the wolf.134But the fox looked up at him with tears in her eyes.135'Farewell, suspicious one!' she said sadly.136And climbed into the bucket.1 2← previousOpening, part 5next →Opening, part 7↑ back to The Orange Fairy BookThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3027/6/page/2/