Page:Tales of old Lusitania.djvu/91



was once a fox whose godfather and godmother were a crane and a wolf. One day the crane was kind enough to invite the fox to a supper of porridge made of Indian corn flour. The fox accepted the invitation and went to the feast; but the poor thing was unable to get even a taste of the supper, because her hostess put the porridge in a deep vessel with a narrow neck, so that the fox was unable to reach it, whilst the crane very coolly ate it all up before her.

After some time the fox invited the crane to come to supper, and in order to revenge herself for the insult she had received, she cunningly placed the porridge on a perfectly flat stone, off which the crane was hardly able to pick up a morsel, whilst she this time had the supper all to herself.

But the fox had had such a meal that she felt too heavy to walk, and as she had to make a long journey she asked the wolf to take her on his back, saying that she felt very ill, and so weak that she could not take a single step without assistance. The wolf,