Reynard and Chanticleer

Once upon a time there was a rooster who stood on a dung heap, crowed, and flapped his wings. Then the fox came by.

"Good day," said Reynard. "I heard you crowing so nicely. But can you stand on one leg and crow, and wink your eyes?"

"Oh, yes," said Chanticleer. "I can do that very well."

So he stood on one leg and crowed, but he winked only with one eye. When he had done that, he puffed himself up and flapped his wings, as though he had done a great thing.

"Very pretty, to be sure," said Reynard. "Almost as pretty as when the parson preaches in church. But can you stand on one leg and wink both your eyes at once? I hardly think you can."

"Can't I though!" said Chanticleer, and stood on one leg, winked both his eyes, and crowed. But Reynard caught hold of him, took him by the throat, and threw him over his back. He was off to the woods before Chanticleer had finished crowing, as fast as Reynard could run.

When they had come under an old spruce fir, Reynard threw Chanticleer on the ground, set his paw on his breast, and was about to take a bite.

"You are a heathen, Reynard!" said Chanticleer. "Good Christians say grace and ask a blessing before they eat."

But Reynard would not be a heathen. God forbid! So he let go his hold and was about to fold his paws over his breast and say grace—but pop! up flew Chanticleer into a tree.

"You shan't get off for all that," said Reynard to himself. So he went away and came back with a few wood chips that the woodcutters had left. Chanticleer peered and stared to see what they could be.

"Whatever have you got there?" he asked.

"These are letters I have just received," said Reynard. "Won't you help me read them, for I don't know how to read writing."

"I'd be so happy, but I dare not read them now," said Chanticleer. "For here comes a hunter—I see him, I see him, as I sit by the tree trunk."

When Reynard heard Chanticleer chattering about a hunter, he took to his heels as quick as he could.

This time it was Reynard who was made a fool of.