od drink, and after a little he said: "Mr.
Blackbird, Mr. Blackbird, you fed me, didn't you?" And the blackbird
answered: "Yes." "And you got me a drink?" "Yes." "Well then," said the
fox, "come and pull me out of the hole!" At that the blackbird began to
fret and to worry: how could he pull the fox out of the hole? Then he
began to gather sticks in the forest and started throwing them into the
hole. And he kept throwing them in and throwing them in, till he filled
the hole. And the fox climbed up on to the sticks and out of the hole.
And when he had climbed out, he lay down right under the tree. And there
he lay and lay, and he said to the blackbird: "Look here, you fed me,
didn't you, Mr. Blackbird?" And the blackbird answered. "Yes." "And you
got me a drink?" "Yes." "And you pulled me out of the hole?" "Yes."
"Well then," said the fox, "now make me laugh!" At that the blackbird
began to fret and to worry: how should he make the fox laugh? At last he
said: "Very well, I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll fly into the village,
and you run after me." So they agreed to do that, and the blackbird flew
off into the village and perched on the gate of a rich peasant's house,
while the fox lay down under the gateway. Then the blackbird began to
sing: "Mistress, Mistress, bring a lump of fat! Mistress, Mistress,
bring a lump of fat!" And the fox said: "That's fine, let's have it
again!" So the blackbird began once more: "Mistress, Mistress, bring a
lump of fat! Mistress, Mistress, bring a lump of fat!"

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

Suddenly from under the gate a dog said angrily: "Wow-wow!" and the fox
took to his heels and hopped it into the forest as quick as he could!

[Illustration]

And that's all about it.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

[Illustration: Work is just as good as leisure, when we want to give
pleasure.]

End of Project Gutenberg's More Russian Picture Tales, by Valery Carrick

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