earths and not found you at all."

"Let be, fool," says the fox very shortly. "Don't talk to me like
that. What are you jesting about? Formerly I was a young, unmarried
fox; now I am a wedded wife."

"Whom have you married, Lisabeta Ivanovna?"

"What!" says the fox, "you have not heard that the great Cat
Ivanovitch, who has only one ear, has been sent from the far Siberian
forests to be Head-forester over all of us? Well, I am now the
Head-forester's wife."

"No, I had not heard, Lisabeta Ivanovna. And when can I pay my
respects to his Excellency?"

"Not now, not now," says the fox. "Cat Ivanovitch will be raging angry
with me if I let any one come near him. Presently he will be taking
his food. Look you. Get a sheep, and make it ready, and bring it as a
greeting to him, to show him that he is welcome and that you know how
to treat him with respect. Leave the sheep near by, and hide yourself
so that he shall not see you; for, if he did, things might be
awkward."

"Thank you, thank you, Lisabeta Ivanovna," says the wolf, and off he
goes to look for a sheep.

The pretty young fox went idly on, taking the air, for she knew that
the wolf would save her the trouble of looking for food.