Oh,Iforgot!’heexclaimed,turninground,ashewasabouttodrivethemintheoppositedirection,‘youmustbesurenottoopenthebaguntilyouhavegoneatleastfivemiles,rightontheothersideofthosehillsoutthere.Ifyoudo,youwillfindthatallthegoldand.’Thenhewhippeduphisreindeer,andwassoonoutofsightNeoskinlab.ForsometimetheLappwassatisfiedwithhearingthebonesrattle,andthinkingtohimselfwhatagoodbargainhehadmade,andofallthethingshewouldbuywiththemoney.But,afterabit,thisamusementceasedtocontenthim,andbesides,whatwastheuseofplanningwhenyoudidnotknowforcertainhowrichyouwere?Perhapstheremightbeagreatdealofsilverandonlyalittlegoldinthebag;oragreatdealofgold,andonlyalittlesilver.Whocouldtell?Hewouldnot,ofcourse,takethemoneyouttocountit,forthatmightbringhimbadluck.Buttherecouldbenoharminjustonepeep!Soheslowlybroketheseal,anduntiedthestrings,and,behold,aheapofburntboneslaybeforehim!Inaminuteheknewhehadbeentricked,andflingingthebagtothegroundinarage,heranafterthefoxasfastashissnow-shoeswouldcarryhim.Nowthefoxhadguessedexactlywhatwouldhappen,andwasonthelookout.Directlyhesawthelittlespeckcomingtowardshim,hewishedthattheman’ssnow-shoesmightbreak,andthatveryinstanttheLapp’sshoessnappedintwo.TheLappdidnowknowthatthiswasthefox’swork,buthehadtostopandfetchoneofhisotherreindeer,whichhemounted,andsetoffagaininpursuitofhisenemy.Thefoxsoonheardhimcoming,andthistimehewishedthatthereindeermightfallandbreakitsleg.Andsoitdid;andthemanfeltitwasahopelesschase,andthathewasnomatchforthefoxNeoskinlab.Sothefoxdroveoninpeacetillhereachedthecavewhereallhisstoreswerekept,andthenhebegantowonderwhomhecouldgettohelphimkillhisreindeer,forthoughhecouldstealreindeerhewastoosmalltokillthem.‘Afterall,itwillbequiteeasy,’thoughthe,andhebadeasquirrel,whowaswatchinghimonatreecloseby,takeamessagetoalltherobberbeastsoftheforest,andinlessthanhalfanhouragreatcrashingofbrancheswasheard,andbears,wolves,snakes,mice,frogs,andothercreaturescamepressinguptothecave.Whentheyheardwhytheyhadbeensummoned,theydeclaredthemselvesreadyeachonetodohispart.Thebeartookhiscrossbowfromhisneckandshotthereindeerinthechin;and,fromthatdaytothis,everyreindeerhasamarkinthatsamespot,whichisalwaysknownasthebear’sarrow.Thewolfshothiminthethigh,andthesignofhisarrowstillremains;andsowiththemouseandtheviperandalltherest,eventhefrog;andatthelastthereindeeralldied.Andthefoxdidnothing,butlookedon.‘Ireallymustgodowntothebrookandwashmyself,’saidhe(thoughhewasperfectlyclean),andhewentunderthebankandhidhimselfbehindastone.Fromtherehesetupthemostfrightfulshrieks,sothattheanimalsfledawayinalldirections.Onlythemouseandtheermineremainedwheretheywere,fortheythoughtthattheyweremuchtoosmalltobenoticed.Thefoxcontinuedhisshriekstillhefeltsurethattheanimalsmusthavegottoasafedistance;thenhecrawledoutofhishiding-placeandwenttothebodiesofthereindeer,whichhenowhadalltohimself.Hegatheredabundleofsticksforafire,andwasjustpreparingtocookasteak,whenhisenemy,theLapp,cameup,pantingwithhasteandexcitement.‘Whatareyoudoingthere?’criedhe;‘whydidyoupalmoffthosebonesonme?Andwhy,whenyouhadgotthereindeer,didyoukillthem?’‘Dearbrother,’answeredthefoxwithasob,‘donotblamemeforthismisfortune.ItismycomradeswhohaveslaintheminspiteofmyprayersNeoskinlab.’Themanmadenoreply,forthewhitefuroftheermine,whowascrouchingwiththemousebehindsomestones,hadjustcaughthiseye.Hehastilyseizedtheironhookwhichhungoverthefireandflungitatthelittlecreature;buttheerminewastooquickforhim,andthehookonlytouchedthetopofitstail,andthathasremainedblacktothisday.Asforthemouse,theLappthrewahalf-burntstickafterhim,andthoughitwasnotenoughtohurthim,hisbeautifulwhiteskinwassmearedalloverwithit,andallthewashingintheworldwouldnotmakehimcleanagain.Andthemanwouldhavebeenwiserifhehadlettheermineandthemousealone,forwhenheturnedroundagainhefoundhewasalone.Directlythefoxnoticedthathisenemy’sattentionhadwanderedfromhimselfhewatchedhischance,andstolesoftlyawaytillhehadreachedaclumpofthickbushes,whenheranasfastashecould,tillhereachedariver,whereamanwasmendinghisboat.‘Oh,Iwish,Iwish,Ihadaboattomendtoo!’hecried,sittinguponhishind-legsandlookingintotheman’sface.‘Stopyoursillychatter!’answeredthemancrossly,‘orIwillgiveyouabathintheriver.’‘Oh,Iwish,Idowish,Ihadaboattomend,’criedthefoxagain,asifhehadnotheard.Andthemangrewangryandseizedhimbythetail,andthrewhimfaroutinthestreamclosetotheedgeofanisland;whichwasjustwhatthefoxwanted.Heeasilyscrambledup,andsittingonthetop,hecalled:‘Hasten,hasten,Ofishes,andcarrymetotheotherside!’Andthefishesleftthestoneswheretheyhadbeensleeping,andthepoolswheretheyhadbeenfeeding,andhurriedtoseewhocouldgettotheislandfirst.
