Once upon a time, there was a fox, once upon a time, even across seventeen countries. Once upon a moonlit night, this fox snuck into a farmyard to find some food.
He scoured the chicken coops, pigsties, outbuildings of all kinds, but found nothing to eat.
He wanted to leave the yard, but he saw the well in the middle of the yard. He went to the well, stood up on two legs by the well and looked into the water. And then he saw the moonlight in its reflection. The fox thought it was a big cheese.
He wondered how he could get in there to eat that cheese. He soon figured out. He climbed to the top of the well and stepped into one of the two buckets. The bucket became heavier than the other, and he fell down on the water.
When the fox came down, he noticed himself that it was not cheese, but only moonlight. Then he regretted why he had gone in, but there was no getting out.
He wondered, he wondered what would become of him! Well, once a wolf wandered into the yard to look for something to eat. He went around the hen houses and the pigsties, left and right, this way and that, but he found nothing to eat.
Just as he was about to leave, he saw the well and went there. He stood up on two legs next to the well's fence and looked into the well. He saw that there was a fox in the bucket and a big cheese next to it. He says:
- Well, you fox, you've got your work cut out for you there! Can't you give me some of that cheese?
- "Sure you can, my wolf friend, I'll give you some," replied the fox quickly.
- But how do you get in there?
Says the fox:
- Climb on the lid of this well, and sit in that empty bucket, and it will bring you in. - For the fox knew that the wolf was heavier than he, and when the wolf went in, he came out.
The wolf got into the bucket and started down, and the fox started out. They passed one by one, and the fox wished the wolf a good appetite, and when he came out, he got out of the bucket and ran away.
The wolf saw that he was fooled because there was no cheese, only moonlight, but there was nothing he could do. He had to sit there till morning, when it dawned, and the farmer went to draw water for the cattle. Well, he sees a wolf in the bucket. He shouted at the neighbours, and they came with good hands, pulled out the bucket, beat the wolf to death, and sold his skin for a good price.
It was, it was over, tale was!
(Ágnes Kovács: Folk tales for kindergarten children)
