About the fairy tale
Russian folk tale "The Cat and the Fox"
“Behind every great man, there is a great woman” - this phrase is many years old and its author ... hardly thought that it would remain relevant today, and even more so in Russian folk tales. It just very often happens that a handsome, smart and sometimes wealthy man cannot independently reveal his potential, and as soon as a sane and open companion appears in his life, ready to invest her strength in him, the life of such a superman begins to play with new facets.
So in the children's fairy tale “The Cat and the Fox,” the brave and resourceful Cat cannot show and use his talents to the fullest until he meets the pretty and no less enterprising Fox. Although in fairness it should be noted that they came across very grateful spectators: a small, timid Hare and larger in size, but weak in spirit, Wolf and Bear.
Summary of the fairy tale text
In one house, together with the owner, there lived a “pampered” cat, who was not distinguished by exemplary behavior and eventually brought his breeder to the point that he took him to the forest and left him there for permanent residence. But the main character turned out to be not a timid one; he settled in the attic of an abandoned hut and, in order to feed himself, began to catch birds and mice. It turned out well for him, since he ate “until he was full.”
One day the Cat went for a walk and met his future companion, Fox. She immediately saw the new forest inhabitant and admitted that she had “never seen such an animal before.” Of course, the cheat became interested in the unusual inhabitant for a reason; she was a “girl” and really wanted to marry a good match. The cat also turned out to be single. The potential bride asked the groom about who he was and what he did, but the groom lied a little, introducing himself as a “voivode” sent from the distant Siberian forests to maintain peace and order in the territory entrusted to him.
The newlyweds encountered their first troubles literally in the first days of living together. The young woman went hunting to get some food and met the Wolf, who wanted to profit from the fox's prey and take the duck from her. But she warned that she would complain to Kotofey Ivanovich, and he would be “very angry” and would immediately tear the predator apart. To avoid such a sad fate, it was necessary to bring a ram as a ransom.
The next person to be flattered by the Fox’s belongings was Mikhail Ivanovich, and history repeated itself with him. The cunning woman intimidated him by telling him about the difficult character of her husband and advised him to present him with a bull. The main condition of this offering was that the bear would quickly put down his gift and leave.
At the appointed hour, the Wolf (Levon) and Mikhail Ivanovich appeared at the indicated place with gifts, but did not dare to come close to the house of the evil governor. Instead, they sent a hare on reconnaissance, who conveyed the news of the arriving guests. And the guests themselves were so panicked that they hid from the little cat in a pine tree and in the bushes. At first glance, the Cat seemed “painfully small” to them, but pretty soon they changed their minds. When Kotofey Ivanovich realized that the legend did not work and he did not look like a formidable and dangerous beast, he immediately climbed onto the bull and began to eat it, emitting heart-rending screams. The bear could not stand it and fell from the tree. This made an indelible impression on Mikhail Ivanovich. His brother Levon also wanted to take a look at the formidable governor, but due to limited visibility he could not do this fully, he crawled out of the bushes, and the cat, acting blindly, scratched his face. And so it happened that the small but smart Cat scared two strong and formidable animals.
In general, “The Cat and the Fox” is a fairly life-like story, which can be read in almost any children’s book of fairy tales; its plot is simple: smart and enterprising animals once again prevailed over the narrow-minded and cowardly ones...
Read the Russian folk tale “The Cat and the Fox” online for free and without registration.
Once upon a time there was a man. This guy had a cat, but he was such a spoiler, it was a disaster! He's bored to death. So the man thought and thought, took the cat, put it in a bag and carried it into the forest. He brought it and threw it in the forest - let it disappear.
The cat walked and walked and came across a hut. He climbed into the attic and lay down for himself. If he wants to eat, he’ll go into the forest, catch birds and mice, eat his fill, and go back to the attic, and he won’t have enough grief!
So the cat went for a walk, and a fox met him. She saw a cat and marveled: “For how many years I’ve been living in the forest, I’ve never seen such an animal!”
The fox bowed to the cat and asked:
-Tell me, good fellow, who are you? How did you come here and what should they call you by name?
And the cat raised his fur and answered:
- My name is Kotofey Ivanovich, I was sent to you by the governor from the Siberian forests.
- Ah, Kotofey Ivanovich! - says the fox. - I didn’t know about you, I didn’t know. Well, let's go visit me.
The cat went to the fox. She brought him to her hole and began to treat him to various game, and she kept asking:
- Kotofey Ivanovich, are you married or single?
- Single.
- And I, fox, am a maiden. Marry me!
The cat agreed, and they began to feast and have fun.
The next day the fox went to get supplies, but the cat stayed at home. The fox ran and ran and caught a duck. She carries her home, and a wolf meets her:
- Stop, fox! Give me the duck!
- No, I won’t give it up!
- Well, I’ll take it myself.
- And I’ll tell Kotofey Ivanovich, he’ll put you to death!
-Didn’t you hear? Voivode Kotofey Ivanovich was sent to us from the Siberian forests! I used to be a maiden fox, and now I’m our governor’s wife.
- No, I haven’t heard, Lizaveta Ivanovna. How should I look at him?
- Ugh! Kotofey Ivanovich is so angry with me: anyone he doesn’t like will eat him now! Prepare the ram and bring it to bow to him: put the ram in a visible place, and hide yourself so that the cat doesn’t see you, otherwise, brother, you’ll have a hard time! The wolf ran after the ram, and the fox ran home.
A fox is walking and he meets a bear:
- Wait, fox, who are you bringing the duck to? Give it to me!
- Go, bear, I’ll get you well, otherwise I’ll tell Kotofey Ivanovich, he’ll put you to death!
-Who is Kotofey Ivanovich?
- And who was sent to us from the Siberian forests by the commander. I used to be a maiden fox, and now I am the wife of our governor, Kotofey Ivanovich.
- Is it possible to watch it, Lizaveta Ivanovna?
- Ugh! Kotofey Ivanovich is so angry with me: anyone he doesn’t like will eat him now. Go and prepare the bull and bring it to him to bow to. But look, put the bull in a visible place, and hide yourself so that Kotofey Ivanovich doesn’t see you, otherwise you’ll have a hard time!
The bear followed the bull, and the fox went home.
So the wolf brought a ram, skinned it, and stood there thinking. He looks and the bear climbs with the bull.
- Hello, Mikhailo Ivanovich!
- Hello, brother Levon! What, haven’t you seen the fox with her husband?
- No, Mikhailo Ivanovich, I’m waiting for them myself.
“Go and call them,” the bear says to the wolf.
- No, I won’t go, Mikhailo Ivanovich. I'm slow, you better go.
- No, I won’t go, brother Levon. I'm furry, clumsy, where do I belong!
Suddenly - out of nowhere - a hare runs.
The wolf and the bear will shout at him:
- Come here with your scythe!
The hare sat down, his ears back.
- You, hare, are agile and quick on your feet: run to the fox, tell her that the bear Mikhailo Ivanovich and his brother Levon Ivanovich have been ready for a long time, they are waiting for you; he and his husband, with Kotofey Ivanovich, want to bow to the ram and the bull.
The hare ran towards the fox at full speed. And the bear and the wolf began to think about where they could hide.
Bear says:
- I’ll climb a pine tree.
And the wolf says to him:
-Where am I going to go? After all, I can’t climb a tree. Bury me somewhere.
The bear hid the wolf in the bushes, covered it with dry leaves, and he climbed onto the pine tree, to the very top of his head, and looked to see if Kotofey Ivanovich was coming with the fox.
Meanwhile, the hare ran to the fox’s hole:
- The bear Mikhailo Ivanovich and the wolf Levon Ivanovich sent to say that they have been waiting for you and your husband for a long time, they want to bow to you with a bull and a ram.
- Go, scythe, we’ll be there now.
So the cat and the fox went. The bear saw them and said to the wolf:
- What a little governor Kotofey Ivanovich is!
The cat immediately rushed at the bull, ruffled the fur, began to tear the meat with his teeth and paws, and he purred as if he was angry:
- Mau, mau!..
The bear again says to the wolf:
- Small, but gluttonous! The four of us can’t eat, but it’s not enough for him alone. Perhaps he will get to us too!
The wolf also wanted to look at Kotofey Ivanovich, but he couldn’t see him through the leaves. And the wolf slowly began to rake up the leaves. The cat heard the leaves moving, thought it was a mouse, but suddenly he rushed and grabbed the wolf’s face with his claws.
The wolf got scared, jumped up and started running away. And the cat got scared and climbed up the tree where the bear was sitting.
“Well,” the bear thinks, “he saw me!” There was no time to get down, the bear fell from the tree to the ground, knocked off all the livers, jumped up and ran away.
And the fox shouts after him:
- Run, run, no matter how he kills you!..
From then on, all the animals began to be afraid of the cat. And the cat and the fox stocked up on meat for the whole winter and began to live and get along. And now they live.
Once upon a time there was a man. He had a cat, and he was such a spoiler that it was a disaster! The guy is tired of him. So the man thought and thought, took the cat, put it in a bag, tied it up and carried it into the forest.
He brought it and threw it in the forest: let it disappear.
The cat walked and walked and came across a hut; climbed into the attic and lay down for himself. And if he wants to eat, he will go through the forest to catch birds and mice, eat his fill and go back to the attic, and he won’t have enough grief!
One day he went for a walk, and a fox met him, saw the cat and marveled:
I’ve been living in the forest for so many years, but I’ve never seen such an animal.
She bowed to the cat and asked:
Tell me, good fellow, who are you, how did you come here and what should I call you by name?
And the cat raised his fur and said:
I was sent to you by a commander from the Siberian forests, and my name is Kotofey Ivanovich.
“Oh, Kotofey Ivanovich,” says the fox, “I didn’t know about you, I didn’t know.” Well, let's go visit me.
The cat went to the fox; She brought him to her hole and began to treat him to various game, and she herself asked:
What, Kotofey Ivanovich, are you married or single?
Single, says the cat.
And I, fox, am a maiden, marry me.
The cat agreed, and they began to feast and have fun.
The next day the fox went to get supplies so that she would have something to live with her young husband; and the cat stayed at home.
The fox caught a duck, carried it home, and a wolf came across it.
Give me the duck, fox!
No, I won't give it away! I'm bringing it to my husband!
And who is your husband, Lizaveta Ivanovna?
Haven’t you heard that governor Kotofey Ivanovich was sent to us from the Siberian forests? I am now the governor's wife.
No, I haven’t heard, Lizaveta Ivanovna. How would I look at your husband?
Uh! Kotofey Ivanovich is so angry with me: if anyone doesn’t like him, he’ll eat him now! Look, prepare the ram and bring it to bow to him. Put the ram down, and hide yourself so that he doesn’t see you, otherwise, brother, things will get tough!
The wolf ran after the ram.
Wait, fox, where are you taking the duck? Give it to me!
I won’t give you the duck, otherwise I’ll complain to Kotofey Ivanovich.
Who is Kotofey Ivanovich?
And who was sent to us from the Siberian forests by the commander. I am now the wife of our governor.
Is it possible to watch it, Lizaveta Ivanovna?
Uh! Kotofey Ivanovich is so angry with me: if anyone doesn’t like him, he’ll eat him now! You go, prepare the bull and bring it to him to bow to. But look, put the bull down, and hide yourself so that Kotofey Ivanovich doesn’t see you, otherwise, brother, it’ll be hard!
The bear followed the bull, and the fox ran home. The wolf brought the ram and stood there in thought; looks - and the bear climbs with the bull.
Hello, brother Mikhailo Ivanovich!
Hello, brother Levon! What, haven’t you seen the fox with her husband?
No, brother, I've been waiting for a long time.
Go ahead and call.
No, I won’t go, Mikhailo Ivanovich! Go yourself, you are braver than me.
No, brother Levon, I won’t go either.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a hare runs. The bear shouts at him:
Come here, scythe! The hare got scared and came running.
Well, slant shooter, do you know where the fox lives?
I know, Mikhailo Ivanovich!
Go quickly and tell her that Mikhailo Ivanovich and his brother Levon Ivanovich have been ready for a long time, they are waiting for you and your husband, they want to bow to the ram and the bull.
The hare ran towards the fox at full speed. And the bear and the wolf began to think about where to hide. Bear says:
I'll climb a pine tree.
What should I do? Where am I going? - asks the wolf. - There’s no way I’ll climb a tree! Mikhailo Ivanovich! Please bury me somewhere, help the grief.
The bear put him in the bushes and covered him with dry leaves, and he climbed up the pine tree, to the very top of his head, and looked to see if Kotofey was coming with the fox?
Meanwhile, the hare ran to the fox's hole, knocked and said to the fox:
Mikhailo Ivanovich and his brother Levon Ivanovich sent to say that they have been ready for a long time, they are waiting for you and your husband, they want to bow to you like a bull and a ram.
Go, scythe! We'll be there now.
Here comes a cat with a fox. The bear saw them and said to the wolf:
Well, brother Levon Ivanovich, the fox is coming with her husband; how small he is!
The cat came and immediately rushed at the bull, his fur became ruffled, and he began to tear the meat with his teeth and paws, purring as if he was angry:
Not enough, not enough!
The bear thinks: “He’s small, but he’s gluttonous! The four of us can’t eat, but it’s not enough for him alone; perhaps he’ll get to us too!”
The wolf wanted to look at Kotofey Ivanovich, but he couldn’t see through the leaves! And he began to part the leaves above his eyes. The cat heard the leaf moving, thought it was a mouse, but he rushed and grabbed the wolf’s face with his claws.
The wolf jumped up, God bless his legs, and was like that.
And the cat got scared and rushed straight to the tree where the bear was sitting.
“Well,” the bear thinks, “he saw me!”
There was no time to get down, so he relied on God’s will and as soon as he fell from the tree to the ground, he beat off all the livers.
The bear jumped up and ran, almost overtaking the wolf! Only a crash can be heard throughout the forest.
And the fox shouts after him:
He'll ask you! Wait!
From then on, all the animals in the forest began to be afraid of the cat.
And the cat and the fox stocked up on meat for the whole winter and began to live and live for themselves, and now they live and chew bread.
Russian folk tale. Artist Mikhail Solovyov.
All the best! See you again!
Contents of a children's fairy tale:
Fairy tales take a child into a world of magic and fantasy, where good and evil exist, which can be clearly distinguished. The fairy tale “The Cat and the Fox” encrypts the innermost knowledge of life.
The cat demonstratively shows his playful disposition; in the story, he, using his eloquence and resourceful mind, gets out of a difficult situation.
His true strength lies in his words, not in his strength. The wise speech of the cat and the fox in this fairy tale struck fear into the animals, and the cat seemed to them much larger and scarier than at first glance. The fox called the cat her Voivode —
Kotofey Ivanovich, brought fear to the most powerful characters 1skaz.ru —
wolf and bear, in one wise word.
Read the Russian folk tale The Cat and the Fox:
Once upon a time there was a man. This guy had a cat, but he was such a spoiler, it was a disaster! He's bored to death. So the man thought and thought, took the cat, put it in a bag and carried it into the forest. He brought it and threw it in the forest - let it disappear.
The cat walked and walked and came across a hut. He climbed into the attic and lay down for himself. If he wants to eat, he’ll go into the forest, catch birds and mice, eat his fill, and go back to the attic, and he won’t have enough grief!
So the cat went for a walk, and a fox met him. She saw a cat and marveled: “For how many years I’ve been living in the forest, I’ve never seen such an animal!”
The fox bowed to the cat and asked:
Tell me, good fellow, who are you? How did you come here and what should they call you by name?
And the cat raised his fur and answered:
My name is Kotofey Ivanovich, I was sent to you by the governor from the Siberian forests.
Ah, Kotofey Ivanovich! - says the fox. - I didn’t know about you, I didn’t know. Well, let's go visit me.
The cat went to the fox. She brought him to her hole and began to treat him to various game, and she kept asking:
Kotofey Ivanovich, are you married or single?
And I, the fox, am a maiden. Marry me!
The cat agreed, and they began to feast and have fun.
The next day the fox went to get supplies, but the cat stayed at home.
The fox ran and ran and caught a duck. She carries her home, and a wolf meets her:
Stop, fox! Give me the duck!
No, I won't give it away!
Well, I'll take it myself.
And I’ll tell Kotofey Ivanovich, he’ll put you to death!
Haven't you heard? Voivode Kotofey Ivanovich was sent to us from the Siberian forests! I used to be a maiden fox, and now I’m our governor’s wife.
No, I haven’t heard, Lizaveta Ivanovna. How should I look at him?
Uh! Kotofey Ivanovich is so angry with me: anyone he doesn’t like will eat him now! Prepare the ram and bring it to bow to him: put the ram in a visible place, and hide yourself so that the cat doesn’t see you, otherwise, brother, you’ll have a hard time!
The wolf ran after the ram, and the fox ran home.
A fox is walking and he meets a bear:
Wait, fox, who are you bringing the duck to? Give it to me!
Go ahead, bear, and get well, otherwise I’ll tell Kotofey Ivanovich, he’ll put you to death!
Who is Kotofey Ivanovich?
And who was sent to us from the Siberian forests by the commander. I used to be a maiden fox, and now I am the wife of our governor, Kotofey Ivanovich.
Is it possible to watch it, Lizaveta Ivanovna?
Uh! Kotofey Ivanovich is so angry with me: anyone he doesn’t like will eat him now. Go and prepare the bull and bring it to him to bow to. But look, put the bull in a visible place, and hide yourself so that Kotofey Ivanovich doesn’t see you, otherwise you’ll have a hard time!
The bear followed the bull, and the fox went home.
So the wolf brought a ram, skinned it, and stood there thinking. He looks and the bear climbs with the bull. 
Hello, Mikhailo Ivanovich!
Hello, brother Levon! What, haven’t you seen the fox with her husband?
No, Mikhailo Ivanovich, I’m waiting for them myself.
“Go and call them,” the bear says to the wolf.
No, I won’t go, Mikhailo Ivanovich. I'm slow, you better go.
No, I won’t go, brother Levon. I'm furry, clumsy, where do I belong!
Suddenly - out of nowhere - a hare runs.
The wolf and the bear will shout at him:
Come here with your scythe!
The hare sat down, his ears back.
You, hare, are nimble and quick on your feet: run to the fox, tell her that the bear Mikhailo Ivanovich and his brother Levon Ivanovich have been ready for a long time, they are waiting for you, with their husband, Kotofey Ivanovich, they want to bow to the ram and the bull.
The hare ran towards the fox at full speed. And the bear and the wolf began to think about where they could hide.
Bear says:
I'll climb a pine tree.
And the wolf says to him:
Where am I going to go? After all, I can’t climb a tree. Bury me somewhere.
The bear hid the wolf in the bushes, covered it with dry leaves, and he climbed onto the pine tree, to the very top of his head, and looked to see if Kotofey Ivanovich was coming with the fox.
Meanwhile, the hare ran to the fox’s hole:
The bear Mikhailo Ivanovich and the wolf Levon Ivanovich sent to say that they have been waiting for you and your husband for a long time, they want to bow to you as a bull and a ram.
Go, scythe, we'll be there now.
So the cat and the fox went. The bear saw them and said to the wolf:
What a little governor Kotofey Ivanovich is!
The cat immediately rushed at the bull, ruffled the fur, began to tear the meat with his teeth and paws, and he purred as if he was angry:
Mau, mau!..
The bear again says to the wolf:
Small, but gluttonous! The four of us can’t eat, but it’s not enough for him alone. Perhaps he will get to us too!
The wolf also wanted to look at Kotofey Ivanovich, but he couldn’t see him through the leaves. And the wolf slowly began to rake up the leaves. The cat heard the leaves moving, thought it was a mouse, but suddenly he rushed and grabbed the wolf’s face with his claws. 
The wolf got scared, jumped up and started running away.
And the cat got scared and climbed up the tree where the bear was sitting.
“Well,” the bear thinks, “he saw me!”
There was no time to get down, the bear fell from the tree to the ground, knocked off all the livers, jumped up and ran away.
And the fox shouts after him:
Run, run, don't let him kill you!..
From then on, all the animals began to be afraid of the cat. And the cat and the fox stocked up on meat for the whole winter and began to live and get along. And now they live. 
Once upon a time there was a man. This guy had a cat, but he was such a spoiler, it was a disaster! He's bored to death. So the man thought and thought, took the cat, put it in a bag and carried it into the forest. He brought it and threw it in the forest - let it disappear.
The cat walked and walked and came across a hut. He climbed into the attic and lay down for himself. And if he wants to eat, he goes into the forest, catches birds, mice, eats to his fill - back to the attic, and he won’t have enough grief!
So the cat went for a walk, and a fox met him. She saw a cat and was amazed: “For how many years I’ve been living in the forest, I’ve never seen such an animal!”
The fox bowed to the cat and asked:
Tell me, good fellow, who are you? How did you come here and what should they call you by name? And the cat raised his fur and answered:
My name is Kotofey Ivanovich, I was sent to you by the governor from the Siberian forests.
Ah, Kotofey Ivanovich! - says the fox. - I didn’t know about you, I didn’t know. Well, let's go visit me.
The cat went to the fox. She brought him to her hole and began to treat him to various game, and she kept asking:
Kotofey Ivanovich, are you married or single?
And I, the fox, am a maiden. Marry me!
The cat agreed, and they began to feast and have fun.
The next day the fox went to get supplies, but the cat stayed at home.
The fox ran and ran and caught a duck. She carries her home, and a wolf meets her:
Stop, fox! Give me the duck!
No, I won't give it away!
Well, I'll take it myself.
And I’ll tell Kotofey Ivanovich, he’ll put you to death!
Haven't you heard? Voivode Kotofey Ivanovich was sent to us from the Siberian forests! I used to be a maiden fox, and now I’m our governor’s wife.
No, I haven’t heard, Lizaveta Ivanovna. How should I look at him?
Uh! Kotofey Ivanovich is so angry with me: anyone he doesn’t like will eat him now! Prepare the ram and bring it to bow to him: put the ram in a visible place, and hide yourself so that the cat doesn’t see you, otherwise, brother, you’ll have a hard time!
The wolf ran after the ram, and the fox ran home.
A fox is walking and he meets a bear:
Wait, fox, who are you bringing the duck to? Give it to me!
Go ahead, bear, and get well, otherwise I’ll tell Kotofey Ivanovich, he’ll put you to death!
Who is Kotofey Ivanovich?
And who was sent to us from the Siberian forests by the commander. I used to be a maiden fox, and now I am the wife of our governor, Kotofey Ivanovich.
Is it possible to watch it, Lizaveta Ivanovna?
Uh! Kotofey Ivanovich is so angry with me: anyone he doesn’t like will eat him now. You go, prepare the bull and bring it to him to bow to. But look, put the bull in a visible place, and hide yourself so that Kotofey Ivanovich doesn’t see you, otherwise you’ll have a hard time!
The bear followed the bull, and the fox went home.
So the wolf brought a ram, skinned it, and stood there thinking. He looks and the bear climbs with the bull.
Hello, Mikhailo Ivanovich!
Hello, brother Levon! What, haven’t you seen the fox with her husband?
No, Mikhailo Ivanovich, I’m waiting for them myself.
“Go and call them,” the bear says to the wolf.
No, I won’t go, Mikhailo Ivanovich. I'm slow, you better go.
No, I won’t go, brother Levon. I'm furry, clumsy, where do I belong!
Suddenly - out of nowhere - a hare runs. The wolf and the bear will shout at him:
Come here, scythe!
The hare sat down, his ears back.
You, hare, are nimble and quick on your feet: run to the fox, tell her that the bear Mikhailo Ivanovich and his brother Levon Ivanovich have been ready for a long time, they are waiting for you, with their husband, Kotofey Ivanovich, they want to bow to the ram and the bull.
The hare ran towards the fox at full speed. And the bear and the wolf began to think about where they could hide.
Bear says:
I'll climb a pine tree. And the wolf says to him:
Where am I going to go? After all, I can’t climb a tree. Bury me somewhere.
The bear hid the wolf in the bushes, covered it with dry leaves, and he climbed onto the pine tree, to the very top of his head, and looked to see if Kotofey Ivanovich was coming with the fox.
Meanwhile, the hare ran to the fox’s hole:
The bear Mikhailo Ivanovich and the wolf Levon Ivanovich sent to say that they have been waiting for you and your husband for a long time, they want to bow to you as a bull and a ram.
Go, scythe, we'll be there now.
So the cat and the fox went. The bear saw them and said to the wolf:
What a little governor Kotofey Ivanovich is!
The cat immediately rushed at the bull, ruffled the fur, began to tear the meat with his teeth and paws, and he purred as if he was angry:
Mau, mau!
The bear again says to the wolf:
Small, but gluttonous! The four of us can’t eat, but it’s not enough for him alone. Perhaps he will get to us too!
The wolf also wanted to look at Kotofey Ivanovich, but he couldn’t see him through the leaves. And the wolf slowly began to rake up the leaves. The cat heard the leaves moving, thought it was a mouse, but suddenly he rushed and grabbed the wolf’s face with his claws.
The wolf got scared, jumped up and started running away. And the cat got scared and climbed up the tree where the bear was sitting.
“Well,” the bear thinks, “he saw me!”
There was no time to get down, the bear fell from the tree to the ground, knocked off all the livers, jumped up and ran away.
And the fox shouts after him:
Run, run, don't let him kill you!..
From then on, all the animals began to be afraid of the cat. And the cat and the fox stocked up on meat for the whole winter and began to live and get along. And now they live.
Once upon a time there was a man. This guy had a cat, but he was such a spoiler, it was a disaster! He's bored to death. So the man thought and thought, took the cat, put it in a bag and carried it into the forest. He brought it and threw it in the forest - let it disappear.
The cat walked and walked and came across a hut. He climbed into the attic and lay down for himself. If he wants to eat, he’ll go into the forest, catch birds and mice, eat his fill, and go back to the attic, and he won’t have enough grief!
So the cat went for a walk, and a fox met him. She saw a cat and marveled: “For how many years I’ve been living in the forest, I’ve never seen such an animal!”
The fox bowed to the cat and asked:
Tell me, good fellow, who are you? How did you come here and what should they call you by name?
And the cat raised his fur and answered:
My name is Kotofey Ivanovich, I was sent to you by the governor from the Siberian forests.
Ah, Kotofey Ivanovich! - says the fox. - I didn’t know about you, I didn’t know. Well, let's go visit me.
The cat went to the fox. She brought him to her hole and began to treat him to various game, and she kept asking:
Kotofey Ivanovich, are you married or single?
And I, the fox, am a maiden. Marry me!
The cat agreed, and they began to feast and have fun.
The next day the fox went to get supplies, but the cat stayed at home.
The fox ran and ran and caught a duck. She carries her home, and a wolf meets her:
Stop, fox! Give me the duck!
No, I won't give it away!
Well, I'll take it myself.
And I’ll tell Kotofey Ivanovich, he’ll put you to death!
Haven't you heard? Voivode Kotofey Ivanovich was sent to us from the Siberian forests! I used to be a maiden fox, and now I’m our governor’s wife.
No, I haven’t heard, Lizaveta Ivanovna. How should I look at him?
Uh! Kotofey Ivanovich is so angry with me: anyone he doesn’t like will eat him now! Prepare the ram and bring it to bow to him: put the ram in a visible place, and hide yourself so that the cat doesn’t see you, otherwise, brother, you’ll have a hard time!
The wolf ran after the ram, and the fox ran home.
A fox is walking and he meets a bear:
Wait, fox, who are you bringing the duck to? Give it to me!
Go ahead, bear, and get well, otherwise I’ll tell Kotofey Ivanovich, he’ll put you to death!
Who is Kotofey Ivanovich?
And who was sent to us from the Siberian forests by the commander. I used to be a maiden fox, and now I am the wife of our governor, Kotofey Ivanovich.
Is it possible to watch it, Lizaveta Ivanovna?
Uh! Kotofey Ivanovich is so angry with me: anyone he doesn’t like will eat him now. Go and prepare the bull and bring it to him to bow to. But look, put the bull in a visible place, and hide yourself so that Kotofey Ivanovich doesn’t see you, otherwise you’ll have a hard time!
The bear followed the bull, and the fox went home.
So the wolf brought a ram, skinned it, and stood there thinking. He looks and the bear climbs with the bull.
Hello, Mikhailo Ivanovich!
Hello, brother Levon! What, haven’t you seen the fox with her husband?
No, Mikhailo Ivanovich, I’m waiting for them myself.
“Go and call them,” the bear says to the wolf.
No, I won’t go, Mikhailo Ivanovich. I'm slow, you better go.
No, I won’t go, brother Levon. I'm furry, clumsy, where do I belong!
Suddenly - out of nowhere - a hare runs.
The wolf and the bear will shout at him:
Come here with your scythe!
The hare sat down, his ears back.
You, hare, are nimble and quick on your feet: run to the fox, tell her that the bear Mikhailo Ivanovich and his brother Levon Ivanovich have been ready for a long time, they are waiting for you, with their husband, Kotofey Ivanovich, they want to bow to the ram and the bull.
The hare ran towards the fox at full speed. And the bear and the wolf began to think about where they could hide.
Bear says:
I'll climb a pine tree.
And the wolf says to him:
Where am I going to go? After all, I can’t climb a tree. Bury me somewhere.
The bear hid the wolf in the bushes, covered it with dry leaves, and he climbed onto the pine tree, to the very top of his head, and looked to see if Kotofey Ivanovich was coming with the fox.
Meanwhile, the hare ran to the fox’s hole:
The bear Mikhailo Ivanovich and the wolf Levon Ivanovich sent to say that they have been waiting for you and your husband for a long time, they want to bow to you as a bull and a ram.
Go, scythe, we'll be there now.
So the cat and the fox went. The bear saw them and said to the wolf:
What a little governor Kotofey Ivanovich is!
The cat immediately rushed at the bull, ruffled the fur, began to tear the meat with his teeth and paws, and he purred as if he was angry:
Mau, mau!..
The bear again says to the wolf:
Small, but gluttonous! The four of us can’t eat, but it’s not enough for him alone. Perhaps he will get to us too!
The wolf also wanted to look at Kotofey Ivanovich, but he couldn’t see him through the leaves. And the wolf slowly began to rake up the leaves. The cat heard the leaves moving, thought it was a mouse, but suddenly he rushed and grabbed the wolf’s face with his claws.
