"Once on a time there was a Cock who stood on a dung-heap, and crew, and
flapped his wings. Then the Fox came by.
"'Good day,' said Reynard, 'I heard you crowing so nicely; but can you
stand on one leg and crow, and wink your eyes?'
"'Oh, yes,' said Chanticleer. 'I can do that very well.' So he stood on
one leg and crew; but he winked only with one eye, and when he had done
that he made himself big and flapped his wings, as though he had done a
great thing.
"'Very pretty, to be sure,' said Reynard. 'Almost as pretty as when the
parson preaches in church; but can you stand on one leg and wink both
your eyes at once? I hardly think you can.'
"'Can't I though!' said Chanticleer, and stood on one leg, and winked
both his eyes, and crew. But Reynard caught hold of him, took him by the
throat, and threw him over his back, so that he was off to the wood
before he had crowed his crow out, as fast as Reynard could lay legs to
the ground.
"When they had come under an old spruce fir, Reynard threw Chanticleer
on the ground, set his paw on his breast, and was going to take a bite!
"'You are a heathen, Reynard!' said Chanticleer. 'Good Christians say
grace, and ask a blessing before they eat.'
"But Reynard would be no heathen. God forbid it! So he let go his hold,
and was about to fold his paws over his breast and say grace--but pop!
up flew Chanticleer into a tree.
"'You sha'n't get off for all that,' said Reynard to himself. So he went
away, and came again with a few chips, which the woodcutters had left.
Chanticleer peeped and peered to see what they could be.
"'Whatever have you got there?' he asked.
"'These are letters I have just got,' said Reynard, 'won't you help me
to read them, for I don't know how to read writing.'
"'I'd be so happy, but I dare not read them now; said Chanticleer; 'for
here comes a hunter, I see him, I see him, as I sit by the tree trunk.'
"When Reynard heard Chanticleer chattering about a hunter, he took to
his heels as quick as he could.
"This time it was Reynard who was made game of.
* * * * *
"The third story," said Peter, "is about an old fellow who was as deaf
as a post, and who had a goody who was no better than she should have
been. Where he lived I'm sure I don't know, but I've heard it said he
lived in different parts of the country, both north of Stad and south of
Stad; but at any rate this is the story."