Mrs. Fox's Wedding

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

First Tale

Once upon a time there was an old fox with nine tails. He did not believe that his wife was faithful to him and wanted to put her to the test. He stretched himself out beneath the bench, did not move a limb, and pretended to be stone dead.

Mrs. Fox locked herself in her room, and her maid, Miss Cat, sat on the hearth and cooked.

As soon as it became known that the old fox had died, suitors began to appear. The maid heard someone knocking at the front door. She opened it, and there stood a young fox, who said:

What are you doing, Miss Cat? Are you asleep, or are you awake?

She answered:

I'm not asleep; I am awake. Do you want to know what I am doing? I am cooking warm beer with butter in it. Would you like to be my guest?

"No thank you, Miss," said the fox. "What is Mrs. Fox doing?"

The maid answered:

She is sitting in her room Mourning and grieving. She has cried her eyes red, Because old Mr. Fox is dead.

"Miss, tell her that a young fox is here who would like to court her."

"I'll do that, young man."

The cat went upstairs and knocked on the door.

"Mrs. Fox, are you there?"

"Yes, my dear, yes."

"A suitor is outside."

"What does he look like? Does he have nine bushy tails like the late Mr. Fox?"

"No," answered the cat. "He has but one."

"Then I'll not have him."

Miss Cat went downstairs and sent the suitor away.

Soon afterward there was another knock at the door. Another fox was there who wanted to court Mrs. Fox. He had two tails, but he did not fare any better than the first one. Then others came, each with one additional tail, but all were turned away until finally one came who had nine tails, just like old Mr. Fox. When the widow heard that, she spoke joyfully to the cat:

Open up the door And throw old Mr. Fox out.

They were just about to celebrate the wedding when beneath the bench old Mr. Fox began to stir. He attacked the entire party with blows and drove them all out of the house, including Mrs. Fox. Second Tale

Following the death of old Mr. Fox, the wolf presented himself as a suitor. The cat, who was serving as Mrs. Fox's maid, opened the door. The wolf greeted her, saying:

Good day, Mrs. Cat, Why are you sitting alone? What good things are you making there?

The cat answered:

Bread and milk. Would you like to be my guest?

"No thank you, Mrs. Cat." answered the wolf. "Isn't Mrs. Fox at home?"

The cat said:

She's upstairs in her room Mourning and grieving, Bemoaning her plight, Because old Mr. Fox is dead.

The wolf answered:

If she wants another man, Just have her come downstairs.

The cat ran upstairs To give her the news. She ran to the great room, And knocked on the door With her five golden rings. "Mrs. Fox, are you in there? Do you want another man?"

Mrs. Fox asked, "Is the gentleman wearing red breeches, and does he have a pointed little face?"

"No," answered the cat.

"Then he's of no use to me."

After the wolf had been sent away there came a dog, a deer, a hare, a bear, a lion, and all the other animals of the forest, one after the other. But each one lacked one of the good qualities that old Mr. Fox had had, and the cat had to send each of the suitors away. Finally a young fox came.

Mrs. Fox asked, "Is the gentleman wearing red breeches, and does he have a pointed little face?"

"Yes," said the cat, "that he does."

"Then let him come upstairs," said Mrs. Fox, and she told the maid to make preparations for the wedding feast.

Cat, sweep out the kitchen, And throw the old fox out the window. He brought home many a big fat mouse, But he ate them all alone, And never gave me a one.

Then Mrs. Fox married young Mr. Fox, and everyone danced and celebrated, and if they have not stopped, then they are dancing still.

从前，有一只狡猾的老狐狸，他很想知道自己的妻子对自己是不是真心真意的。所以，有一天他直挺挺地躺在长凳下面装死，那样子就像是一只死老鼠。

狐狸太太走进自己的房间里，把门关上了，她的女仆猫小姐则坐在厨房的火炉旁做饭。老狐狸死了的消息很快就传开了，不久来了一只年青的狐狸敲着门说道：

「猫咪小姐！猫咪小姐！

你今天过得好吗？

你是在睡觉还是在打发时间呢？」

猫走过去打开门，看见门口站着一只年青的狐狸，所以她对他问：

「不，不，狐狸先生，这大白天我没有睡觉，我在调制上等的白酒，阁下有空来吃午饭吗？」

狐狸说道：「不了，谢谢你，请问可怜的狐狸太太怎样了？」

猫小姐回答说：

「她整天坐在自己的房间里，泪水涟涟地哀歎自己命苦，连漂亮的眼睛都哭红了，哎！都是因为狐狸老先生死了。」

年青的狐狸说道：

「请你去对她说，来了一只年青的狐狸，他来的目的，是向她求婚的。」

猫听了，踏着轻快的脚步上楼来到狐狸太太的房间，轻轻地敲着门说道：

「狐狸太太，你在里面吗？」

「哎！我可爱的猫咪，你找我有事吗？」

「门口来了一位求婚者。」

狐狸太太马上回答说：

「亲爱的，他长得怎样？

他个头高，身子挺直吗？

他有九条尾巴吗？

一定要有九条尾巴，如果没有，他就不能向我求婚。」

「哎呀！他只有一条尾巴。」猫说道，「那我不会接受他。」

狐狸太太回答说。猫小姐下楼送走了这位求婚者。

不久，另一只狐狸来敲门，这只狐狸只有二条尾巴，他的遭遇不比第一位求婚者好多少，也被猫小姐打发走了。接着一连来了几只狐狸，都被狐狸太太拒绝了。最后来了一只和老狐狸一样长着九条尾巴的狐狸。

寡妇听到这个消息，立刻跳起来说道：

「啊！我可爱的猫咪，打开窗户和门，把我所有的朋友都邀来，参加我的结婚典礼，将我那令人作呕的老傢伙，从窗子里仍到大街上去。」

但是，当结婚宴会准备好时，老狐狸突然跳了起来，抓起一根棍棒，把所有的来宾，包括狐狸太太一起都赶出了门。

过了一段时间，老狐狸真的死了，很快有一只狼来问候，他敲着门说：

「猫小姐，你好，你的鬍鬚多整洁啊！

你怎么独自规规矩矩地坐在这儿呢？

你是在做好吃的东西，我说的对不对呀？」

猫回答说：

「对了，这是我今天的午餐。

麵包加牛奶，阁下愿意留下来吃饭还是去给你倒一杯酒来喝？」

狼说道：「谢谢你，别客气！我想知道狐狸太太是不是在家。」猫回答说：

「她整天孤零零地坐着，悲伤地哭泣，哎呀，哎呀！

都是因为狐狸先生过世了。」

狼说道：

「哎——，亲爱的猫咪小姐这的确是一件伤心的事，但你认为我怎么样？

她能同意我作她的丈夫吗？」

猫回答道：

「狼先生，我可不知道她的意思，你在这儿坐一坐，我上楼去看一看。」

猫搬了一把椅子，非常乐意地摇着耳朵，轻快地上楼去了。她来到狐狸太太的门前，用戴在脚爪上的戒指敲着门说道：「狐狸太太，你在里面吗？」

寡妇说道：「喔！我在，请进来！我的乖乖，我听见厨房里有说话声，告诉我那是谁呀？」

猫回答说：

「那时一只漂亮的狼，他长着一身光滑的皮毛，他正打这儿经过，走进来看了看（因为老狐狸先生死了），说你是否愿意，嫁给他做他的妻子。」

狐狸太太说问：「可他有红红的脚，尖尖的嘴鼻吗？」猫说：「没有。」「那他不适合做我的丈夫。」

狼很快就被打发走了。接着来了一条狗，然后是山羊，再接着是一头熊、一头狮子，所有的兽类动物都来过，一个接一个，它们都只有老狐狸具有的某些特徵，都不合狐狸太太的意，猫奉命把他们送走了。

最后，终於有一只年青的狐狸来了，狐狸太太问：「他有四条红红的脚和尖尖的嘴鼻吗？」猫回答说：「是的。」

狐狸太太吩咐道：

「那么，猫咪，把客厅打扫一下，看起来要乾净整洁。

把老傢伙仍到街上去，这个愚蠢的老无赖，他死了我真高兴。

我现在就要嫁给，一只年青可爱的狐狸。」

婚礼举行了，欢乐的钟声敲响了。朋友和亲戚们都唱起了歌，跳起了舞，举杯畅饮，谁也不知道他们欢跳了多久，也许现在他们还在跳呢！