There was once a poor widow and her cat. This cat was such a glutton that it stuck its nose into every pot and pan. The poor woman had had enough of the cat's mischief, and once, when the cat had emptied the milk-pan, she took the broom, beat him well, and said to him:
- Get out of my house, up the road, down the road, never set foot in here again!
Well, the poor cat must have gone out into the world. He went off in a great sadness, went out of the village, staggered this way and that, everywhere, and then he came to a bridge, sat down there, and purred to himself in a great sadness. As he sat there, he saw a fox sitting there. He creeps up and starts to play with the fox's tail.
The fox is frightened, and turns back to look at the cat, unable to imagine what God's creation could be, he has never seen such an animal. He flinches a little, but so does the cat, for he has never seen a fox in his life. Each was startled by the other. No, but the fox spoke first. He asks the cat with a big frown:
- Who should be the master?
"Ah," thinks the cat to himself, "it seems to be afraid of me!"
He immediately took courage and said with great pride:
- What, you don't know me? Know that I am King Kacor. There's no animal that's not afraid of me.
- 'Well, well,' said the fox, 'I'm ashamed I haven't heard your news.
At once he paid King Kacor a great tribute of respect: may he be fortunate enough to visit him at his poor house, and there would be chicken, duck, goose for dinner, and all that he could spare.
- 'Very well,' said King Kacor, 'I will go with you.
They went to the fox's house, but the fox was busy, running around the kitchen, cooking all sorts of delicious roasts, offering King Kacor:
- Eat, your Majesty, eat, do not starve as you do at home.
Then when the meal was over, he made King Kacor a bed, a soft bed, and King Kacor ordered the house to be quiet, lest someone disturb his peace.
The fox went out to the front of his house and walked up and down, watching to make sure no one came in, but even
do not approach.
Once a rabbit comes by, and the fox has already shouted at it from afar:
- Run away, you wretch, don't you know that King Duck is sleeping at my place?! If you wake him up,
your life is over!
For the rabbit needed nothing else, he ran through the bushes and ditches, as if he were trash.
would have been taken out. As he ran, the bear came up to him and asked:
- Where are you running off to, maybe the cops are chasing you?
- Oh, don't ask, my bear brother. I came by the fox-combe's house, and the fox-combe told me to run, for King Kacor was staying with him, and if I woke him up my life would be over.
- "Hm, hm," says the bear, "I've been to many countries, I've been all over the world, but I've never seen King Kacor, nor heard of him. Well, I'll visit the fox, and see who is King Kacor?
The bear goes to the fox, and the fox is still walking in front of his house, and as soon as he sees the bear, he calls out to him:
- Oh, my soul, my dear bear, don't come this way, for if you wake King Kacor, his life is over, and mine too.
But the bear was frightened too, and turned and ran through the woods, as if he had been taken for a trash, and did not stop until he caught up with the hare. And when he came to the hare, there were all sorts of animals, both winged and unwinged, all around him. The rabbit told them about King Kacor, and the animals were frightened.
- Oh, God, what will become of us if King Kacor wakes up and goes into the forest!
There were all sorts of animals, wolves, deer, roe deer, crows, eagles, ravens, and they were all terribly frightened, they didn't know what to do. Once the rabbit says:
- I'll tell you something. Let's get all of us together, make a big dinner, and invite King Kacor; if he came to the fox's house for dinner, he'll come to ours.
- 'It will be all right,' said the crow, 'I will go to the fox-combe, if you will trust me, and invite King Kacor's majesty.
But they trusted him, of course they trusted him, let the crow go. The crow goes to the fox, greets him properly, tells him what's in it for him.
- "All right," says the fox, "I'll go in and see if he's awake, and I'll tell him your wish.
In walks the fox, and just then King Ducky rubs his eyes, stretching his legs,
that his bones were cracking inside him.
- So, what news, my friend? - asks King Kacor.
- "My King," says the fox, "here is a crow. All the beasts of rank and rank have been sent here to invite your majesty to dinner.
King Kacor brushed his moustache and said to the fox:
- All right, you can go. Tell the crow I'm leaving.
The crow flies back to the other animals with great joy, and reports King Kacor's message. Hey, my lord, they're building a big fire in the middle of the forest! The bear brought ox-meat, the wolf horse-meat, the eagle all sorts of small birds, the hare struck up for his cook, twirled the spit, roasted the precious steaks; the others stood round the fire, waiting for King Kacor's majesty.
Meanwhile, King Kacor sat down, grew his moustache to a point, and set off with his fox companion to the inn. The crow came before them, and led the way, but for all the treasure in the world he would not have dared to land, but flew from one tree-top to another, and cawed:
- This way! This way!
One day they see King Kacor coming with his fox. Well, my lord, as many animals as there were, all of them were so brave.
- "Oh, oh," cried the rabbit, "here comes King Ducky, and he'll stick it on his moustache!
Run as fast as you can! - cried the bear, and with that they rushed on, running as fast as they could.
If those crazy animals hadn't run away, my story would have lasted longer.
(Elek Benedek: Hungarian tale- and mythology Volume 2)
