“Big Brother Bear, you should beware.
The Fox is tricky, I declare.
Even though you long for honey,
I would not trust him for much money.”
The Funny Fox had a sore foot only a short time, but he made the most of it and limped along sometimes just to be sly and cunning.
One day, he was limping along when he met Old Brother Bear. “How do you do?” he asked politely.
Old Brother Bear asked, “What makes you limp this morning?”
The Funny Fox replied, “Alas! I hurt my paw and cannot walk another step. And it is sad, for I was going to the tree the woodman has cut down to get some honey! I can see the tree where it has fallen, but cannot walk another step!”
Old Brother Bear said, “I will get the honey. You wait here for me.” He went on, smacking his lips. How he did like honey! No sooner had he reached the tree than he plunged in the opening headfirst. The Funny Fox ran hastily and took out some wedges in the tree, and Old Brother Bear could not pull his head out. He was caught as though in a trap.
“How do you like the honey?” asked the Funny Fox.
Just then, the Bold Badger came trip, trip, tripping along. He laughed when he saw Old Brother Bear’s discomfort, but he said it was a shame to fool him when there was no honey in the tree. Then he whispered something to the Funny Fox: “Let us help him out, and I will show him a hive where the bees are swarming, but we can make him go in and get real honey for us.”
Old Brother Bear was so thankful to the Bold Badger for helping him out that he readily agreed to his plan, and the three went along until they came to three beehives that stood in a row.
The Funny Fox said, “You go now and get honey for us, and you shall have half of all you bring out.”
Old Brother Bear said, “I dare not go, for the bees are swarming, and I will get stung.”
The Funny Fox winked at the Bold Badger and said, “If you are so afraid, the Bold Badger will go and get a sip of honey first to show you the bees here are harmless.”
The Bold Badger did this, and though the bees came all about him, he did not get stung because his hide is such no insect can sting him.
Old Brother Bear, seeing he came to no harm, plunged in, and my! how he howled! He got stung and carried a swollen face for a week.
The Funny Fox and Bold Badger went off down the road.
After that, Old Brother Bear knew enough to leave beehives alone, which shows that a burnt child dreads the fire.
Every animal he met for a week asked, “Have you the toothache? Why is your head tied up, Old Brother Bear?” To which he replied,
“I’m not sure I heard just what you said,
Perhaps it’s the fashion to tie up the head.”
So I think Old Brother Bear had a laugh after all, for to this day many animals do not know what was the matter with him.
