Many years ago there lived a young nobleman whose family had fallen on hard times. Though once rich they had become very poor. War had devastated their land. And what war did not destroy, the famine that followed took. And what little famine left behind, the disease that came after devoured.
The young man was an only child. After he had buried both his beloved parents, he paid the few remaining servants what they were due and told them that they should seek a better place elsewhere. All he had left were his house and his horse.
The very next day he took his mare right into his home and made a stall for her there, saying, "You must be family and friend and servant to me from now on."
Every morning he rode out across the fields. When he reached the edge of the forest he would loop his mare's reins over the limb of a tree and leave her there to graze while he went to forage for food. One day, while the young man was gone, a fox crept from the woods and sidled up to the mare. The mare made ready to kick, but the fox spoke to her in that language all animals understand. "Please, I have fallen on hard times and can barely live on this land. I have noticed your master is a good and kind man. He has taken you under his very roof. Do you think perhaps he could shelter me too?"
"I cannot speak for my master." The horse shook her head. "You must wait till he comes back and ask him yourself."
When the young man returned and saw the fox crouched between his horse's hooves, he pulled out his knife. But the poor thin fox looked at him so sorrowfully that even though he did not know the language of animals he seemed to understand. He mounted his horse and the fox followed. When he reached his house he led the mare in as usual. The fox put one paw on the threshold and gazed up at the man.
"I know you are a fox," he told her. "And must go your own way. But here under my roof we may all live in peace." And so it was. The fox entered the house and made her lair with the young man and his mare.
A few days later when both the fox and mare were resting beneath the trees (for they had become fast friends), a wolf slunk out of the woods. The horse made ready to kick and the fox to bite, but the wolf spoke to them in them in the language all animals understand. "I have fallen on such hard days, I cannot live on this land. Your master is a good and kind man. He has taken a fox under his roof. Would he not take a wolf too?"
"We cannot answer for him," fox and horse replied. "But wait with us and you may ask for yourself."
When the young man saw the wolf lurking by the fox and mare, he unsheathed his knife, but the poor tired wolf look at him so sadly, the man seemed to understand. So he returned home, the wolf following the horse and fox. As they entered the house, the wolf laid his head on the threshold and looked up at the man.
"I know you are a wolf," the man said. "And must go your own way, but here in my house we may all live in peace." So the wolf made his den within.
A few weeks later, while the fox and wolf and mare rested beneath the trees, a bear lumbered towards them. The mare made ready to kick, the fox to bite, and the wolf to lunge. But in deep mournful tones, the bear spoke to them. "I am hungry and cold. How can one live on this land? But all creatures know that your master is a good and kind man. If he has taken a horse and fox and wolf under his roof, surely he would shelter a bear too."
This time, when the young man saw the bear sitting with others he didn't even bother pulling out his knife. He merely mounted his horse and let the bear follow. And when they reached the house and the bear poked his head through the open doorway, the man bade him come in, saying, "You are a bear and must go your own way, but here in my home we all live in peace." So the bear took the cellar for his cave.
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The young man was an only child. After he had buried both his beloved parents, he paid the few remaining servants what they were due and told them that they should seek a better place elsewhere. All he had left were his house and his horse.
The very next day he took his mare right into his home and made a stall for her there, saying, "You must be family and friend and servant to me from now on."
Every morning he rode out across the fields. When he reached the edge of the forest he would loop his mare's reins over the limb of a tree and leave her there to graze while he went to forage for food. One day, while the young man was gone, a fox crept from the woods and sidled up to the mare. The mare made ready to kick, but the fox spoke to her in that language all animals understand. "Please, I have fallen on hard times and can barely live on this land. I have noticed your master is a good and kind man. He has taken you under his very roof. Do you think perhaps he could shelter me too?"
"I cannot speak for my master." The horse shook her head. "You must wait till he comes back and ask him yourself."
When the young man returned and saw the fox crouched between his horse's hooves, he pulled out his knife. But the poor thin fox looked at him so sorrowfully that even though he did not know the language of animals he seemed to understand. He mounted his horse and the fox followed. When he reached his house he led the mare in as usual. The fox put one paw on the threshold and gazed up at the man.
"I know you are a fox," he told her. "And must go your own way. But here under my roof we may all live in peace." And so it was. The fox entered the house and made her lair with the young man and his mare.
A few days later when both the fox and mare were resting beneath the trees (for they had become fast friends), a wolf slunk out of the woods. The horse made ready to kick and the fox to bite, but the wolf spoke to them in them in the language all animals understand. "I have fallen on such hard days, I cannot live on this land. Your master is a good and kind man. He has taken a fox under his roof. Would he not take a wolf too?"
"We cannot answer for him," fox and horse replied. "But wait with us and you may ask for yourself."
When the young man saw the wolf lurking by the fox and mare, he unsheathed his knife, but the poor tired wolf look at him so sadly, the man seemed to understand. So he returned home, the wolf following the horse and fox. As they entered the house, the wolf laid his head on the threshold and looked up at the man.
"I know you are a wolf," the man said. "And must go your own way, but here in my house we may all live in peace." So the wolf made his den within.
A few weeks later, while the fox and wolf and mare rested beneath the trees, a bear lumbered towards them. The mare made ready to kick, the fox to bite, and the wolf to lunge. But in deep mournful tones, the bear spoke to them. "I am hungry and cold. How can one live on this land? But all creatures know that your master is a good and kind man. If he has taken a horse and fox and wolf under his roof, surely he would shelter a bear too."
This time, when the young man saw the bear sitting with others he didn't even bother pulling out his knife. He merely mounted his horse and let the bear follow. And when they reached the house and the bear poked his head through the open doorway, the man bade him come in, saying, "You are a bear and must go your own way, but here in my home we all live in peace." So the bear took the cellar for his cave.
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