narled 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.'

[Illustration: THE ELVES AND THE BEAR]

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 that I should hear all his plans.'

'What would you do, my nose, if someone was to betray me?'

'I would smell so sharply that I should know from afar that he was
coming.'

'What would you do, my tail, if someone was to betray me?'

'I would steer you so straight a course that you would soon be beyond
his reach. Let us be off; I feel as if danger was near.'

But the fox was comfortable where he was, and did not hurry himself to
take his tail's advice. And before very long