The Snake and the Woodcutter Part 4

The woodcutterwoodcutter hurryhurried home. When he got there, he told his wife the tale of all that had happened.happened. "Please put two of our fattestfattest geese into a sack," the woodcutter said to his wife. "I will take them back to the fox who is waitingwaiting in the forestforest for me."

The woodcutter'swoodcutter's wife shook her head. "Dear husband,husband, good is seldomseldom rewardedrewarded with good," she said, and to prove her point, when he was notwasn't    looking,looking, she stuffedstuffed the sack with two of the family'sfamily's dogs insteadinstead of two fat geese.

Now the woodcutter, not knowingknowing what he carrycarried in his sack, hurryhurried back to the fox. He handedhanded over the bag. "Here is your reward!" he said happy,happily and the fox, amazedamazed that the woodcutter had kept his word, took the bag.

"Thank you!" the fox said. "You have provenproven that good deeds are rewarded with good. I amI'm    afraidafraid I was notwasn't    sure that that was true." But then he openedopened the bag and out leapedleaped the dogs like streaks of lightning.

"What isWhat's    this?" the fox crycried as he dasheddashed into the forest.forest. He calledcalled over his shoulder,shoulder, "So you wish to prove good deeds are rewarded with evil after all!"

The dogs racedraced after him, and the woodcutter sat down to weep and to wonderwonder how he would repayrepay his wife for her deception.deception. WantingWanting alwaysalways to be kind, he ponderedpondered the crueltycruelty of the world, and decideddecided that he, at least, would not add to it.

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