Once there was a poor man who lived in the middle of the forest. He lived in an old shack, which was so shabby and unstable that a wall had fallen in and left the house open to thieves and robbers. Many had swindled the poor man in his sleep, and now all he had left was three loaves of bread, a sack of flour, a wooden stove, and a bucket. News of the poor man’s state spread throughout the forest, and soon, even the animals wanted to try to rob the man.

Three animals, Dog, Goose, and Fox, met by a tall oak tree, and they soon bragged to one another about their ability to swindle men.

“I once stole three cuts of deer meat from a hunter who thought I was one of his hounds,” said Dog.

“I once took a whole sack of sunflower seeds from a farmer who was ready for planting season,” boasted Goose.

Eventually, the bragging became so great that the three animals bet each other to see who could swindle the most food from the poor man. The animals drew lots, and Dog was the first to meet the poor man. The animal waited until evening. Then Dog scampered into the forest and through the hole in the poor man’s shack.

The poor man looked up from his evening meal to see Dog begging at his feet.

“Please, sir. Could you spare me some food? I lost my master while we were hunting, and I haven’t eaten anything in weeks.”

The poor man could not bear to see the Dog suffer so much so far from its master. And so, he gave Dog the rest of the loaf of bread from his evening meal. Dog quickly snatched up the loaf and scurried back to the tall oak tree. Dog shared the bread with his cunning friends, and they all talked about what to do the next night.

“It’s my turn,” said the goose, “and I’m sure I can do better than one measly loaf of bread.”

The animals waited until the next evening. Then Goose waddled into the forest and through the hole in the poor man’s shack.

The poor man looked up from his evening meal to see Goose preening at his feet.

“Oh,” cried Goose, “my poor goslings! I have searched all day for food to give them and have not found a single crumb! Oh, how they will go hungry!”

The poor man could not bear to think of the goslings suffering so much so far from their mother. And so, he gave Goose the last two loaves of bread in his house. Goose quickly snatched up the loaves and scurried back to the tall oak tree. Goose shared the bread with his cunning friends, and they all talked about what to do the next night.

Now, the poor man was without any more bread, so he left his shack that night to collect water for bread making. As he bent down to draw water from the pond, he heard Dog and Goose giggling to each other by the tall oak tree.

“That was great fun swindling that poor man,” said Dog. “I think you’ve won the bet, Goose.”

“Not so fast, Dog,” replied Goose. “We had our night of fun, and tomorrow is Fox’s turn.”

Now the poor man understood. He carried the water home and began to think of a way to punish those animals. The next day, the poor man worked hard to make his bread, and by evening, the shack smell of fresh baking. Soon, Fox came sprinting through the forest and into the hole in the poor man’s shack.

The poor man looked up from his stove to see Fox circling at his feet.

“Oh how miserable I am!” the fox cried. “I have hunted all day for a meal, but Wolf chased away all the animals and left nothing for me to eat! Oh, how hungry I will be!”

The poor man bent down and seized Fox by its neck.

“Filthy vermin!” he shouted. “I will not let you or your friends swindle me again!”

The poor man tried to throw Fox into the stove, but Fox escaped before he could shut the door. However, the Fox was singed as he fled the poor man’s grasp, and that is why foxes have black fringes on their coats.