Once there was a flood, and there was a large rock with a Wolf sleeping
on the top. The water came pouring around the rock, and when the
Wolf awoke he found himself imprisoned, with no way of getting off,
and nothing to eat.
"H'm!" said he to himself, "here I am, caught fast sure enough, and
here I shall have to stay yet awhile. Nothing to eat, either! Well,"
he thought, after a pause, "it is Friday to-day, when people say you
ought to fast. Suppose I keep a holy fast to-day? A capital idea!" So
he crossed his paws, and pretended to pray, and thought himself very
good and pious to be fasting.
A fairy saw this, and heard what he said; and she thought she would
just see how much was real and how much was sham. So she changed
herself into the shape of a pretty little Kid, and jumped down out
of the air on to the rock.
The Wolf opened an eye to see what the noise could be, and there was
a tender little Kid, standing on the rock. He forgot his prayers
in a minute. "Aha!" said he. "A Kid! I can keep my Friday fast
to-morrow. Now for the Kid!" He smacked his lips, and jumped at
the Kid.
But the Kid jumped away, and, try as he would, he could not come
near it. You know it was the fairy, and the fairy did not let herself
be caught.
After trying to catch the Kid for some time the Wolf lay down
again. "After all," said he, "it is Friday; and perhaps I had best
keep my fast to-day."
"You humbug!" said the fairy, who had gone back to her proper shape;
"you are a nice creature to pretend that you are keeping fast! You
fast because you can't help it, not because you are really good. As
a punishment, you shall stay on this rock till next Friday, and fast
for a week!"
So saying, she opened her wings and flew far away.