Then the farmer grew quite red in the face and said, “I don’t know any fairy stories; honestly I don’t!”
“You know about the fox and the crow,” said the farmer’s wife.
Then the Babies climbed up on his chair and on his knees and there was no way out of it; he had to begin:
“There once was a crow, and at early morn
He spied the farmer’s field of corn;
He said, ‘As sure as I am born,
I’ll have that corn, heigh-o!’”
“Go on! Go on!” shouted all the Babies. “Tell about the fox. Please tell us some more.” Then the farmer said:
“There once was a fox so very sly
He knew that farmer’s field hard by;