“No, it wasn’t that. They were considerate enough but they kept getting poorer and poorer until finally they hadn’t food enough to feed us animals. Then I overheard the master say that soon they’d be forced to eat us and that they’d begin with me. At that I decided it was time for me to run away and here I am.”
“My poor Cat,” Mikko said, “you’ve had a cruel experience! Why don’t you take service with me?”
“Will I be safe with you?” the Cat asked. “Will you protect me?”
“Will I?” the Fox repeated boastfully. “My dear Mirri, once it becomes known that you are Mikko’s servant all the animals will show you a wholesome respect.”
“Well then, I’ll enter your service,” the Cat said.
So the bargain was struck and the Fox at once began to train his new servant.
“Now, Mirri, tell me: what would you do if you suddenly met a Bear?”
“There’s just one thing I could do, master: I’d run up a tree.”
The Fox laughed.
“You must have more ways than one to meet such a situation! Take me now: there are any of a hundred things that I could do if I met a Bear!”