“What’s that?” said the bear.
“It’s the biggest bees’ nest I ever found,” said Reynard.
“Ah, indeed,” said the bear, grinning, and his mouth began to water, he thought a little honey would be so nice. “Shall we change victuals?” he said.
“No, I won’t do that,” said Reynard. But they made a wager about naming three kinds of trees. If the fox could say them quicker than the bear he was to have one bite at the pig; but if the bear could say them quicker he was to have one suck at the bee’s nest. The bear thought he would be able to suck all the honey up at one gulp.
“Well said the fox, “that’s all well and good but if I win you must promise to tear off the bristles where I want to have a bite,” he said.
“Well, I suppose I must, since you are too lazy yourself,” said the bear.
Then they began to name the trees.
“Spruce, fir, pine,” growled the bear. His voice was very gruff. But all these were only different names of one kind of tree.
“Ash, aspen, oak,” screeched the fox, so that the forest resounded. He had thus won the bet, and so he jumped down, took the heart out of the pig at one bite, and tried to run off. But the bear was angry, because he had taken the best bit of the whole pig, and seized hold of him by his tail and held him fast.
“Just wait a bit,” said the bear, who was furious.