Hrvatski / B2
Lisica prevarila muža
Lisica je jednom htjela prijeći preko ograde, no našla se u preuskom otvoru i zapela. Nije mogla krenuti ni naprijed ni natrag. Od straha je počela vikati i plakati: ako je netko ondje pronađe, mogao bi je ubiti.
U daljini je opazila čovjeka na putu. Smišljala je kakvom bi ga nagradom navela da je oslobodi. Bojala se da bi netko pametniji mogao naići i uhvatiti je.
Kad je čovjek stigao do nje, zamolila ga je da je oslobodi te mu za njegov trud obećala novčić. On se dao prevariti: izvukao je lisicu, a zatim je pustio iz ruku.
„A gdje je novčić?“ upitao je.
„Imao si ga u ruci. Zašto ga nisi uzeo?“ odvratila je. „Za moju bi kožu dobio novčić.“
Pripovjedač se na kraju i sam uključuje u priču: i on je, kaže, došao pomoći čovjeku da oslobodi lisicu, pa svejedno nije dobio ništa.
English summary · includes the ending
A fox tries to pass through a fence, but the opening is too narrow. She becomes stuck and cannot move forwards or backwards. Frightened that someone will find and kill her, she begins to cry.
Then she notices a man approaching along the same path. She asks him to free her and promises him a coin for his work. She is afraid that a cleverer person might come along and catch her instead.
The man accepts her promise, frees her and lets her go. Only then does he ask where his coin is. The fox tells him that he has already had it in his hands. He could have sold her skin for that amount, but he has let her escape.
The promised reward turns out to mean the value of the fox herself. The narrator ends with another joke: he claims that he also helped to free her, yet received nothing either.
Adapted for Lejrbål from the credited source.
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