As soon as he had loosened the sledge , he had taken his favourite fish from among the piles neatly arranged for sale , and had trotted off to the forest with it in his mouth . By-and-by he met a bear , who stopped and said : ` Where did you find that fish , Mr. Fox ? ' ` Oh , not far off , ' answered he ; ' I just stuck my tail in the stream close by the place where the elves dwell , and the fish hung on to it of itself . ' ` Dear me , ' snarled the bear , who was hungry and not in a good temper , ` if the fish hung on to your tail , I suppose he will hang on to mine . ' ` Yes , certainly , grandfather , ' replied the fox , ` if you have patience to suffer what I suffered . ' ` Of course I can , ' replied the bear , ` what nonsense you talk ! Show me the way . ' So the fox led him to the bank of a stream , which , being in a warm place , had only lightly frozen in places , and was at this moment glittering in the spring sunshine . ` The elves bathe here , ' he said , ` and if you put in your tail the fish will catch hold of it . But it is no use being in a hurry , or you will spoil everything . ' Then he trotted off , but only went out of sight of the bear , who stood still on the bank with his tail deep in the water . Soon the sun set and it grew very cold and the ice formed rapidly , and the bear 's tail was fixed as tight as if a vice had held it ; and when the fox saw that everything had happened just as he had planned it , he called out loudly : ` Be quick , good people , and come with your bows and spears . A bear has been fishing in your brook ! ' And in a moment the whole place was full of little creatures each one with a tiny bow and a spear hardly big enough for a baby ; but both arrows and spears could sting , as the bear knew very well , and in his fright he gave such a tug to his tail that it broke short off , and he rolled away into the forest as fast as his legs could carry him . At this sight the fox held his sides for laughing , and then scampered away in another direction . By-and-by he came to a fir tree , and crept into a hole under the root . After that he did something very strange . Taking one of his hind feet between his two front paws , he said softly : ` What would you do , my foot , if someone was to betray me ? ' ' I would run so quickly that he should not catch you . ' ` What would you do , mine ear , if someone was to betray me ? ' '
I would listen so hard XXXXX I should hear all his plans . '
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