s are cream white to
this very day.

[Illustration: Bruin Carries Reynard]

Well, Reynard crept home and found Bruin in such a state, who
commenced to grumble and complain that it was all Reynard's fault that
he had lost his tail. So Reynard pointed to his own tail and said,
"Why, that's nothing; see my tail; they hit me so hard upon the head
my brains fell out upon my tail. Oh, how bad I feel; won't you carry
me to my little bed." So Bruin, who was a good-hearted soul, took him
upon his back and rolled with him towards the house. And as he went on
Reynard kept saying, "The sick carries the sound, the sick carries the
sound."

"What's that you are saying?" asked Bruin.

"Oh, I have no brains left, I do not know what I am saying," said
Reynard but kept on singing, "The sick carries the sound, ha, ha, the
sick carries the sound."

Then Bruin knew that he had been done and threw Reynard down upon the
ground, and would have eaten him up but that the fox slunk away and
rushed into a briar bush. Bruin followed him closely into the briar
bush and caught Reynard's hind leg in his mouth. Then Reynard called
out, "That's right, you fool, bite the briar root, bite the briar
root."

Bruin thinking that he was biting the briar root, let go Reynard's
foot and snapped at the nearest briar root. "That's right, now you've
got me,

don't hurt me too much,"

called out Reynard, and slunk away.

"Don't hurt me too much,
don't hurt me too much."

When Bruin heard Reynard's voice dying away in the distance he knew
that he had been done again, and that was the end of their
partnership.

Some time after this a man was plowing in the field with his two oxen,
who were very lazy that day. So the man called out at them, "Get a
move on or I'll give you to the Bear"; and when they didn't quicken
their pace he tried to frighten them by calling out, "Bear, Bear, come
and take these lazy oxen." Sure enough, Bruin heard him and came out
of the woods and said, "Here I am, give me the oxen, or else it'll be
worse for you." The man was in despair but said, "Yes, yes, of course
they are yours, but please let me finish my morning's plowing so I may
finish this acre." Bruin could not say "No" to that, and sat down
licking his chops and waiting for the oxen. The man went on plowing,
thinking what he should do, when just at the corner of the field
Reynard came up to him and said, "If you will give me two geese, I'll
help you out of