“Huh! That’s easy! We’ll eat the smallest of us next!”
He had no sooner spoken than the Squirrel ran up a tree and the Ermine slipped under a stone.
Pekka, the Wolf said:
“But the smallest have escaped!”
Osmo, the Bear, grunted again:
“Huh! The smallest now is that pop-eyed Jussi! Let’s—”
At mention of his name the Hare went loping across the field and was soon at a safe distance.
Osmo, the Bear, put his heavy paw on the Fox’s shoulder.
“Mikko,” he said, “it’s your turn now for you’re the smallest of us three.”
Mikko, the Fox, pretended not to be at all afraid.