Fox's Sack
Fox was looking for food in his home when he heard the sound of a bumble-bee. Fox grabbed the bee and put it into a bag and went for a walk. He walked and walked until he came to a house.
He knocked on the door of the house. When the mistress of the house answered the door he said, “I am going to see my friend. I am going to leave my sack here. Do not look in my sack.”
“I will not look in the sack,” said the woman. But as soon as Fox was out of sight, the woman peeked into the bag. Out flew the bumble-bee. The woman’s rooster caught the bee and ate it up.
Fox came back later and looked in the sack. He saw that his bumble-bee was gone. He asked the woman, "Where is my bumble-bee?"
"I just untied the bag, and the bumble-bee flew out. My rooster ate him up."
"Very well," said the Fox, "I will take your rooster, then." He caught the rooster and put him in his bag.
He knocked on the door of another house. When the woman of the house answered the door he said. “I am going to see my friend. I am going to leave my sack here. Do not look in my sack.”
“I will not look in the sack,” said the woman. But, as soon as Fox was out of sight, the woman peeked into the bag. The rooster flew out. The woman’s pig chased the rooster away.
Fox came back later and looked into the sack. The rooster was not in it. He said to the woman, "Where is my rooster?"
The woman said "I just looked inside the sack, and the rooster flew out. My pig chased it away."
"Very well," said Fox, "I will take your pig, then." He caught the pig and put him in his bag.
Fox knocked on the door of another house. When the woman of the house answered the door he said. “I am going to see my friend. I am going to leave my sack here. Do not look in my sack.”
But as soon as Fox was out of sight, the woman peeked into the sack. The pig jumped out, and the woman's little boy chased him out of the house where he ran away.
After a while Fox came back. He looked into the sack and he saw his pig was gone. "Where is my pig?"
The woman said: "I just looked in the sack, and the pig got out. My little boy chased him out of the house, and he ran away."
"Very well," said Fox, "I will take your little boy. Fox caught the little boy and put him in his bag.
Fox knocked on the door of another house. When the woman of the house answered the door he said. “I am going to see my friend. I am going to leave my sack here. Do not look in my sack.”
The woman was making cookies, and her little girls were asking for some.
"Mother, give me a cookie," said each one.
The little boy who was tied up in the bag heard the children asking for cookies and said, “May I have a cookie?”
The woman opened the bag and took the little boy out. She put her dog in the bag in the bag. “When Fox opens the sack, eat him,” said the woman.
After a while Fox came back. He picked up his bag and he saw that it was still tied. He put it over his back and traveled back to his home. Then he sat down and untied the bag. He planned to eat the little boy.
You will have to imagine Fox’s surprise when he opened the sack. When Fox untied the sack, the dog did just as he was told. We do not know if he ate the whole Fox or just got a good bite of his tail. But that is the end of this tale!
Note: One of the best versions of this story was written by storyteller, Bill Harley, in Ready-To-Tell Tales. Edited by David Holt and Bill Mooney. August House Publishers (1994). Dr. Lockett credits Bill Harley for his version of the story when retelling it for listeners at storytelling workshops.