Cheese-eater was so excited that she couldn’t help laughing, putting her paws on the hips.
“It served you right! When you chased us, you were growling, but right now you’re howling! Look at yourself! You became timid, like a wolf cornered with a bear-spear.”
When she had enough of laughing, Cheese-eater grew serious and said to the Wolf strictly, “The Wolf may be beaten in his own forest, too. And not because he’s that bad, but because of the sheep he had. If there are cows or sheep, the Wolf will come, indeed. Where did you come from? From what fairy-tale? And why are you stealing our cattle?”
“Now, don’t call me a thief – the Wolf is to blame for all the mischief! Don’t lump everything together,” grumbled the Wolf cheerlessly. “Such is our fate; nothing can be done about that.”
“Don’t pretend to be a poor little thing!” exclaimed Cheese-eater indignantly. “And who will ever believe, that you haven’t stolen the sheep? There is no peace in every fairy-tale because of you, grey robber! Tell at once, why do you keep stealing from us?”
“It’s because of my life,” complained the Wolf. “Hungry wolves eat hooves. A living soul should have a piece of bread. Whatever fairy-tale you read, a wolf wants always something to eat. Well, it’s useless to explain this to you. If you are full, you won’t understand the one who is hungry. Our fur is of the same colour, dear mouse, but our lives are quite different. You have lots of milk and heaps of butter every day. But all these supplies are not for us. You may have milk with porridge or churn butter of it. But I am happy even when I get some bread for dinner. Since my young years I was a poor orphan and had to search for my daily bread. And who keeps company with the wolves, will finally know how to howl. If you get that hungry for a meal, you’ll soon learn how to steal. It’s wrong when a cow becomes a wolf’s prey, but it’s the cow’s fault that it has gone astray. A disobedient sheep is also easy to catch, for it has left its flock.”
“Don’t steal someone else’s bread, get up early and work instead.” Cheese-eater intended to give the Wolf a good scolding. When else could she do it, being that safe? “But you forget one thing – though a dog on a leash sees milk, it will never get it.”
“By the way,” the Wolf got animated,”in old days in fairy-tales a wolf and a dog lived together. Wolves and dogs are in kinship, you know. If I had good masters, I would gladly serve them. Take me with you, and I’ll be on guard duty. A wolf that is fed lets the master sleep well in his bed. The wolves will be fed and the sheep safe.”
