THE ANIMAL FRIENDS

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 261, 3 November 1928, Page 23 (Supplement)

THE ANIMAL FRIENDS

There was once a Serbian nobleman who was so poor that he had nothing left but an empty castle, a handsome horse, and his hunting gear. One day, as he was returning with a stag he had killed, a fox suddenly appeared before him and said: "Pray, sir, let me enter your service. I could guard 3 our noble horse when you leave it tethered. The huntsman laughed, and let her come home with him. He was very skilful in the chase, so that there was always enough to eat, and in the cold winter he made huge fires of brushwood; in fact, her new life seemed like Paradise to the poor little fox, who had been hungry and half-frozen and hunted many a time in her life. Whenever she visited her old acquaintances she gossiped about her good situation, with the result that all sorts of beasts were continually arriving and asking the youth to be their master. Among others there were a bear, a wolf, and a kumrekusha —a huge bird that could carry off a horse in its talons. All these creatures were devoted to the kindly youth, who fed them, gave them shelter, and took the sharp, painful thorns out of their pads. When they had served him some time they held a meeting to decide what they should give him for his birthday present. They decided that a wife would be the best thing, and settled on a certain beautiful princess. One day, when this damsel was walking in her garden, the kumrekusha swooped down ®ut of a tree and carried her off. The princess was quite satisfied with her wonderful castle, and was as happy as the day is long;, but her father was in despair. He offered a huge reward for the recovery of his child. Now, there was an old witch living in the capital who was tired of mixing love potions and sleeping draughts, and was desperately afraid of being burned at the stake. She thought: "If I can win this reward I shall be able to retire, and be a respectable person." So sh© never ceased her efforts till she discovered the whereabouts of the princess. One day, as she walked in the forest, the princess found an old gipsy woman sitting on a carpet. They exchanged greetings, and the stranger cleverly turned the conversation into a series of stories. The princess listened and listened till she was tired of standing; she sat down at last by the side of this entertaining old woman. Then the witch slashed the carpet with a whip, and it rose into the air, and carried them off to the king's palace. His Majesty was delighted, and if the princess had any thought of wandering back to her husband on foot it was no use, for the king had her shut up in a tall tower lest she should be carried off again. The nobleman was so miserable that he lay in bed and did not go hunting for two days. The animals had no supper. They all said that something must be done to end this state of affairs. The next day the princess looked out of her window and saw a beautiful cat playing with the dead leaves on the green sward. She s?nt her maids of

honour to catch it, lmt puss would not be caught. There never was so frisky and playful a eat. At last the princess came out of her tower, crying impatiently, "Let nic try!" Once more the kumrekusba swooped out of a tree and caught her up, while the fox, who was really the, cat in disguise, took to her heels, with all the king's gTevliounds and men-at-arms in full cry after her. Then the king was so angry at the part the animals had played in his (laughter's elopement that he vowed to kill every beast in the land, big and little, ■wild and tame, except his cavalry horses. Accordingly he set off for the forest with hia army. Meanwhile the animals had banded themselves together under the generalship of the fox. When the royal army halted for «the night after the first day's march all the mice in the land nibbled through the bridles and the ropea that drew the cannon. However, the king sent back to the city for new ones, and once more set off in pursuit of his enemies. When he was encamped the next night all the moles in the land mined the earth round about. On the morrow, when they tried to muster for the attack, the soldiers sank struggling into the soft earth, while all the birds in the land dropped stones on them from above. The king was slain; the princess and her husband inherited the throne; and if anyone ill-used an animal during their reign he was stuck in the stocks, ducked in the ducking stool, and locked in the lock-up till he was sorry for his misdeed.