Prevod

Once upon a time there was a man who was going to the forest for firewood. On the way he met a bear. “Give me your horse, or I shall kill all your sheep this summer,” said the bear.

“Oh, heaven help me!” said the man. “There isn’t a stick of firewood at home. You must let me take a load back first, or we shall freeze to death. I’ll come back with the horse for you tomorrow.” Yes, he might do that, and so they agreed; but if he did not return, he would lose all his sheep that summer, said the bear.

The man loaded the firewood onto his sledge and trudged homeward, but he was none too pleased with his bargain, as you may well imagine. Then he met a fox. “What makes you so downhearted?” asked the fox.

“Oh, I met a bear up here,” said the man, “and I had to promise him my horse at this time tomorrow, for he said that if he didn’t get it, he would tear all my sheep to pieces this summer.” “Pooh, is that all?” said the fox. “Give me your fattest ram, and I’ll get you out of that bargain.” Yes, he would, the man promised, and he would keep his word, too.

“When you come to the bear with your horse tomorrow,” said the fox, “I’ll shout from up among these rocks. When the bear asks what it is, tell him it’s Peer the Hunter, the best shot in the world. After that, you must fend for yourself.” The next day the man set out, and when he met the bear, someone began shouting up among the rocks.

“Hush! What’s that?” said the bear. “Oh, that’s Peer the Hunter, the best shot in the world,” said the man. “I know him by his voice.”

“Have you seen a bear about here, Erik?” came a shout from the forest. “Say no!” said the bear. “No, I haven’t seen a bear,” said Erik. “Then what’s that standing beside your sledge?” came the shout from the forest.

“Say it’s an old resinous pine log,” whispered the bear. “Oh, it’s only an old pine log,” said Erik. “Where I come from, we roll pine logs like that onto the sledge,” came the shout from the forest. “If you can’t manage it, I’ll come and help you.” “Say you can manage by yourself, and roll me onto the sledge,” said the bear.

“No, thank you, I can manage by myself,” said the man, and rolled the bear onto the sledge. “Where I come from, we lash pine logs like that down,” came the shout from the forest. “Do you want any help?”

“Say you can manage by yourself, and lash me down,” said the bear. “No, thank you, I can manage by myself,” said the man, and set about binding the bear with every rope he had, until it could not so much as stir a paw.

“Where I come from, we sink an axe into pine logs like that once we’ve lashed them down,” came the shout from the forest, “for then we can steer better down the steep hills.”

“Pretend to sink your axe into me,” whispered the bear. Then the man took his axe and split the bear’s skull, killing it on the spot. He and the fox were now the best of friends, but as they drew near the farm, the fox said:

“I don’t care to come home with you, for I don’t like your dogs. I’ll wait here, and you can bring me the ram. Mind you choose a good fat one.” The man promised he would, and thanked the fox for his help. When he had stabled the horse, he went over towards the sheepfold.

“Where are you going?” asked his wife. “Oh, I’m going to the sheepfold to fetch a fat ram for the clever fox who saved our horse,” said the man, “for I promised him one.” “The devil take that thieving fox before I’d give him a ram!” said his wife. “We’ve got the horse, and the bear into the bargain, and the fox has surely stolen more geese from us than the ram is worth. And if he hasn’t, he may yet.”

“No, put a couple of our fiercest dogs in your sack and let them loose on him. Perhaps we’ll be rid of the thief,” said his wife. The man thought this good advice, so he took two fierce red dogs, put them in the sack, and set off with them.

“Have you got the ram?” asked the fox. “Yes, come and get it,” said the man, untying the sack and letting the dogs loose on him. “Ugh!” said the fox, leaping aside. “The old saying is true: a good deed earns a bad reward. And now I see it’s true as well that one’s own kin are one’s worst enemies,” he said, as he saw the red dogs come racing after him.