"One day as Bruin lay by a horse which he had slain, and was hard at
work eating it, Reynard was out that day too, and came up spying about
and licking his lips, if he might get a taste of the horse-flesh. So he
doubled and turned till he got just behind Bruin's back, and then he
jumped on the other side of the carcass and snapped a mouthful as he ran
by. Bruin was not slow either, for he made a grab at Reynard and caught
the tip of his red brush in his paw; and ever since then Reynard's brush
is white at the tip, as any one may see.
"But that day Bruin was merry, and called out, "'Bide a bit, Reynard;
and come hither, and I'll tell you how to catch a horse for yourself.'
"Yes, Reynard was ready enough to learn, but he did not for all that
trust himself to go very close to Bruin.
"'Listen,' said Bruin, 'when you see a horse asleep, sunning himself in
the sunshine, you must mind and bind yourself fast by the hair of his
tail to your brush, and then you must make your teeth meet in the flesh
of his thigh.'
"As you may fancy, it was not long before Reynard found out a horse that
lay asleep in the sunshine, and then he did as Bruin had told him; for
he knotted and bound himself well into the hair of his tail, and made
his teeth meet in the horse's thigh.
"Up sprang the horse, and began to kick and rear and gallop, so that
Reynard was dashed against stock and stone, and got battered black and
blue, so that he was not far off losing both wit and sense. And while
the horse galloped, they passed Jack Longears, the Hare.
"'Whither away so fast, Reynard?' cried Jack Longears.
"'Post haste, on business of life and death, dear Jack,' cried Reynard.
"And with that Jack stood up on his hind legs, and laughed till his
sides ached and his jaws split right up to his ears. It was so funny to
see Reynard ride post haste.
"But you must know, since that ride Reynard has never thought of
catching a horse for himself. For that once at least it was Bruin who
had the best of it in wit, though they do say he is most often as
simple-minded as the Trolls."
* * * * *
Many other stories Edward and I heard that season up on the Fjeld,
either from the girls, or Peter, or Anders; and here some of them follow
standing by themselves, and not set in a frame.