18. Story of the Fox and the Wolf

p. 148

18. STORY OF THE FOX AND THE WOLF. ¹

The man pursued Fox with dogs, but Fox succeeded in plunging into the nest of a polar Owl. ² The man chopped at the trunk with his heavy ax. "O gossip! I want to fly out."--"Ah, gossip! do as if you have too; but before doing so please pass water upon my neck," said the Fox. Owl passed water upon Fox's neck. When the man caught Fox by the neck, she slipped out of his fingers and ran off. The dogs followed her. She ran to and fro, until she was tired. Then she called to Owl, "O gossip! teach me how to fly."--"All right! Sit down on my back!" The owl alighted and carried off Fox. They flew up high into the air. "Oh dear!" said Fox. "I know how to fly, but I do not know how to alight." Owl pretended to throw her down. "O Lord! let it be upon the moss! O God! let it be upon a soft place!" Owl threw her down and Fox was killed.

Told by Mary Alin, a Russianized Chuvantzi woman. Recorded by Mrs. Sophie Bogoras in the village of Markova, the Anadyr country, winter of 1900.

Footnotes

148:1 This is the usual Old World story telling how Fox pretended to fish through a hole in the ice, and then tempted Wolf to do the same: wolf lost his tail in the Ice.

Fox feigned death, and was picked up by a passing farmer, etc. I give here only an episode which seems of local character--W. B.

148:2 Some of the nests of these large owls are said to be placed within hollow trunks of trees, or among piles of driftwood which are found at certain places all along the arctic coast. (Cf. Bogoras,-- The Chukchee," 97.)--W. B.