honest man."

   The woodman's neighbors heard of his good fortune. One of them lost his ax. He appeared to feel very sad over his loss. He sat down by the roadside and bowed his head, looking out of the corners of his eyes for the stranger.

   At last he saw the stranger coming around a bend in the road. The sun shown upon a gold ax which he carried in his hand. He stopped in front of the woodman. "Why do you grieve, my friend?" he asked.

   "I have lost my ax with which I earned my living," the woodman replied.

   "Cheer up," said the stranger. "I have an ax here. Is it yours?"

   "That is the very one," said the woodman. "Thank you, stranger," and he reached out his hand to take the gold ax.

   But the stranger drew back, and put the ax behind him. "It is not your ax. It is my own, and you wish to claim it. You are both dishonest and untruthful;" and he turned away.

   Reynard lost his tail in a trap. Now a fox is proud of two things—his cunning and his tail. He had allowed himself to be trapped. This showed his lack of cunning, and he had lost his tail.

   He was so ashamed of himself that he could not bear to meet another fox. He slunk off to his den and came out only when driven by hunger. When out hunting, he kept out of the way of all his neighbors. He did not mean that any of them should know of his bad luck.

   At last he grew tired of living by himself. He wanted to gossip with his friends.

   He wondered whether old Rufus was still running on top of the great meadow fence to throw the hounds off the track.

   He longed to hear of the latest tricks of Fleetfoot's cubs. They were three of the brightest little foxes that ever lived. He wished that he could see them at their play.

   He wished to know if the men were still cutting down trees near White-ear's den. If this went on, White-ear would have to find a new home. It would be hard for her after living in that beautiful spot so long.

   If he were to hear the news at all, he must meet his comrades. "How can I bear to listen to their laugh!" he moaned.

   He had not lost all of his cunning, as you will see. He lay for a long time with his head between his paws. His eyes were wide open, 

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