Once upon a time there lived a very poor man who had a wife and family, and there was also a tomcat prowling about the house. One day a neighbour took pity on them and gave the man a handful of flour of maize. Overjoyed he went home, and mixing it with water made a nice dish. Pouring it out on to the plates, he and his wife and the children sat round eating as much as they could.
Tom, smelling the dish, began to mew, and the father, taking pity on Tom, said to the children:
“Poor Tom is starving too, give him some of the mameliga” (maize pudding). But they said, “He must have it in a better style. We will gird him with a sword round his loins, and he will draw it and cut for himself as big a slice as he likes.” And so they did. But when Tom saw himself girded with a sword, which clanked as he moved about, he said, “I am much too good for this family,” and off he went into the world.
On his way he met a vixen, and she asked him:
“Where are you going, Sir Knight?”
He said, “I am going to get married.”
“Will you marry me?”
Tom replied, “Yes, you are just as good as any other bride.”
So they went together to the vixen’s lair, and a happy life began for our friend. For the vixen went catching birds, rabbits, and other animals, and bringing them home to feed her husband.
One day the vixen met the wolf. “Hallo, sister,” he cried, “have you got a meal ready?”