“No!” growled the bear. “You get away from here right away! If you don’t I will kill you, too!” That bear was not at all polite, nor was he very generous, but the fox did not dare to say anything because he was really afraid of the bear, so he just went slinking away through the brush with his bushy tail dragging on the ground.
“I will get even with the bear somehow,” he muttered.
After a while what should he meet but another bear.
“Good-morning, Cousin,” said the fox most politely; “I was looking for you.”
“What were you looking for me for?” asked the bear.
“Well, if you are hungry, I know where you can get a fine dinner,” said the sly fox.
“Where is that?” asked the bear, beginning to look interested.
“A little while ago I saw another animal like you, only not so big, and he was eating a fine, fat caribou. I will show you where he is if you want; then, together, we can kill that other bear, and both have plenty to eat.”
The bear looked surprised. “O no,” said he. “We never do such things as that. Bears do not kill each other. We are friends.”
“That is nothing,” said the fox. “When we are hungry, we foxes kill each other, and eat each other, too. The bear I saw is a bad bear. He said he would bite you, if he met you.”
Now the fox knew he was telling an untruth, but he wanted to make this bear angry with the other one. He was not a good character, that fox. Of course, the bear was angry at that.
“We will go fight now, and I will see what that bear means by saying such things.” He was really furious, and went off through the woods with great strides, so that the fox had to run to keep up with him.
As soon as he saw the bear with the caribou, he jumped at him and a desperate battle began. While they were busy fighting, the fox took all the fat from the caribou and hid it under his skin.
When the second bear had beaten the bear with the caribou, and had driven him away, he saw the fox lying on the ground moaning and groaning as though in great pain.
“What is the matter, Cousin?” asked the bear.
“O!” groaned the fox, “I am almost dead!” And he rolled over and made believe to cry. “I got terribly hurt helping you in that terrible fight. It was I who gave your enemy the blow that drove him away.”