Fairy and Wonder Tales 1917

The Thief and the Fox

By Ramaswarni Raju

A MAN tied his horse to a tree and went into an inn.  A Thief hid the

horse in a wood, and stood near the tree as if he had not done it.

"Did you see my horse?" said the man.

"Yes," said the Thief, "I saw the tree eat up your horse.''

"How could the tree eat up my horse?" said the man.

"Why it did so," said the Thief.

The two went to a Fox and told him of the case.  The Fox said.  "I am

dull.  All last night the sea was on fire; I had to throw a great deal

of hay into it to quench the flames; so come to-morrow, and I shall

hear your case.

"Oh, you lie," said the Thief. "How could the sea burn?  How could hay

quench the flames?"

"Oh, you lie," said the Fox, with a loud laugh; "how could a tree eat

up a horse?"

The Thief saw his lie had no legs, and gave the man his horse.