Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 6 1888.djvu/262

 254 stick in hand and after it. The fox limped away in the best fashion it could, and barely escaped from them. Meanwhile, shepherd-dogs came to their wallet and ate up everything that they had. When they returned to the wallet they had a sight to see.

The simpleton took the third road right on, and went forwards till he began to feel hungry. Then he sat down on the grass under a pear-tree, and took bread and bacon out of his wallet to eat. Scarcely had he sat down to eat, when lo! that very same lame fox, which his two brothers had seen, began to approach him, and to fawn and beg, limping on three feet. He had compassion on it, because it was so lame, and said: "Come, fox! I know that you are hungry, and that it is hard lines for you that you have not a fourth foot." He gave it bread and bacon to eat, a portion for himself and a portion for the fox. When they had refreshed themselves a little, the fox said to him: "But, brother, tell me the truth, whither are you going?" He said: "Thus and thus, I have a father and us three brothers, and one of my father's eyes always laughs because we serve him well, and the other eye weeps because there has been stolen from him a vine belonging to him, which poured forth a bucket of wine every hour; and now I am going to ask people all over the world whether some one cannot inform me about this vine, that I may obtain it for my father, that his eye may not weep any longer."

The fox said: "Well, I know where the vine is; follow me." He followed the fox, and they came to a large garden. Then the fox said: "There is the vine of which you are in search. But it is difficult to get to it. Do you now mark well what I am going to say to you. In the garden before the vine is reached it is necessary to pass twelve watches, and in each watch twelve warders. When the warders are looking you can pass them freely, because they sleep with their eyes open. If they have their eyes closed go not, for they are awake, not sleeping, with their eyes closed. When you come into the garden, there under the vine stand two shovels, one of wood and the other of gold. But mind you don't take the golden shovel to dig up the vine; for the shovel will ring, and will wake up the watch; the watch will seize you, and you may fare badly. But take the wooden shovel, and with it dig up the vine, and when the watch is