The Fox and the Gulls

The Fox and the Gulls

Long ago, Fox lived in a little reed hut on the shore of a large lake. Early one spring morning, the sound of splashing water startled Fox. “ The gulls are back! ” Fox cried. “ It's been a long winter. ” His stomach rumbled at the thought of a tasty gull breakfast. “ I just need to wait a bit longer, ” Fox said to himself. “ Soon I will have a tasty feast! ”

From a distance, Fox watched Mother Gull build a nest of twigs and reeds. When she finished, Mother Gull laid her eggs. Some weeks later, Fox heard the cries of newborn gull chicks. “ Those gulls will be delicious, " Fox said to himself. “ I just need to wait a bit longer. Soon I will have a tasty feast! ”

One day, Mother Gull flew off to find food for her chicks. Fox ran to the nest and scooped up the baby gulls. He put the chicks in an old sack. Then Fox ran back to his little reed hut. Fox was very tired by the time he got home. " I'm too tired to cook, " he said. “ I need to rest before I fix dinner. ” He dropped the sack of chicks beside the pile of wood outside his doorway. He went inside his hut to take a nap. While Fox slept, the baby chicks cried for help.

Mother Gull heard her babies’ cries. She flew as fast as she could to Fox's hut. “ Shhh! ” Mother Gull whispered. “ Don't cry, my little ones. ” Mother Gull took the baby chicks out of the sack. She carried them one by one to an island in the middle of the lake. Fox could not reach them there! When all the chicks were safely on the island, Mother Gull flew back to Fox's hut. “ I will teach that mean Fox a lesson, " she said. She filled the sack with thorny branches.

Fox woke up. He was very hungry. He went outside and opened the sack. But when Fox reached down to grab a chick, he got a paw full of thorns instead! “ Ouch! ” he cried. “ Where is my tasty treat?” Fox looked toward the lake. There were Mother Gull and her chicks, watching him from the island. “ Mother Gull has tricked me! ” Fox cried. " I must teach her a lesson. ”