CHAPTER II

BOOKS, STORIES,

FOLKLORE, SAYINGS, PLAYS AND CARTOONS

ABOUT THE FOX

Finnish fables

The fox and the fisherman Once upon a time there was a fisherman. One winter day he had caught his sleigh full of fish and was heading home, singing happy songs. -But what is that, lying on the road? It's a dead fox! The man stopped and bent over the fox. He picked it up and put it to the sleigh. -Your beautiful fur will be very useful for me. I will get a lot of money for it, he spoke to himself. But the clever fox was not actually dead, it was just pretending. For a while it

just laid down on the fishes. Then it started to throw them to the road. Soon the sleigh was empty. Finally the fox itself leaped down and started collecting its haul. That was the best meal it had had for a long time. There was so much fish that the fox could not eat them all, so it carried the rest to the side of the road and started burying them in the snow. The man had not noticed anything, he just sat on his sleigh and sang to himself. When he arrived home, his wife was waiting for him and wanted to know where had he been for such a long time. -Don't you scold me, my dear wife. I have my sleigh full of fish and a beautiful fox! I found it dead on the road. -What are you talking about! There is not a single fish here, and I can't see a fox either! The man was very ashamed. He scratched his head and said: -Seems like the clever fox really fooled me. --- When the bear went fishing Fox had dug a hole in the snow and started to bury some fishes left over from its haul. The bear happened to see it. -Where did you get all this fish from? -From the lake, the fox answered. -Seems like you were very lucky. Would you teach me to catch some fish? -Sure. Go to the lake on a starry evening. Put your tail to a hole in the ice and sit still through the whole night. Then pull your tail up and you will have a fish in every single hair. -Thanks a lot, my dear friend! In that evening the sky was full of stars, the frost was hard. The bear followed the instructions the fox had given, and found a hole in the ice. It put its long tail there and sat down very still. After a while the water in the hole started to freeze. The bear thought that the pinches it felt were caused by fishes biting its tail. In the morning the hole was totally frozen. The bear tried tu pull its tail up, but it was impossible. The poor animal had to stay there.

The clever fox came around and saw the bear sitting on the ice. The fox ran to a nearby house and shouted: - There's a bear ruining your fishing hole! A man and his wife both ran to the ice with clubs and started to hit the bear. It tried to pull itself off. Finally the tail snapped and the bear got away, but it lost its tail for ever.

Estonian literature In Estonian folklore stories about a cunning and clever fox are very well known. These stories are also in primary schoolbooks. FRIEDRICH REINHOLD KREUTZWALD was a doctor and a writer who lived and worked in Võru in 1833-1877. He wrote the Estonian epic Kalevipoeg but he also collected folklore and wrote lots of fairy tales and animal stories. They have appeared in print for many times. The nickname of the fox (rebane) is Reinuvader. The fox is the main character in Estonian animal stories. The tardy bear, simple-minded wolf and shy hare are always cheated by the cunning and fluent fox.

Reinuvader rebane ja hunt kalapüügil

In this book you can find well-known fables about how the fox emptied the farmer’s sleigh and how the fox taught the wolf to catch fish with its tail. (The Finns have the same fables!). There are tales about how the fox ate the farmer’s cream and how the fox had a ride home on wolf’s back.

( The fox and the wolf fishing) by Ernst Peterson-Särgava.

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Meie rebane (Our fox) by Anton Hansen Tammsaare. A. H. Tammsaare is one of the best known writers in Estonia. He is a classic who wrote novels and short stories. This is a story about a fox named Mossa. After a forest fire a game warden found a fox cub and took it home. The game warden’s son became attached to the fox. At first they kept the fox on lead but later they let the fox Mossa walk around and it always came back home. Once it happened that Mossa went to the neighbour’s farm to steal a hen and the neighbour killed the fox. The boy was very unhappy and then father stuffed it and Mossa stayed with them forever.

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Estonian authors have written several books for children where the main character is the fox.

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This is a series of well-known fables Rebane ja viinamarjad (The fox and the Grapes), Toonekurg ja Rebane (The Stork and the Fox) and Vares ja Rebane (the Crane and the Fox). The Crane and the Fox The Crane was sitting in the tree with a nice big piece of cheese in its beak. The Fox wanted to get the cheese but the Crane didn’t give. Then the Fox thought how to swindle the cheese out of the Crane and started to flatter, “I would like to listen to your beautiful singing, dear Crane!” These compliments were to Crane’s liking and the stupid bird made KRA-KRA. The piece of cheese fell down and the Fox ran away happily.

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Hungarian literature

Fox plays an important role in Hungarian literature. In the folk-tales it is the personification of ’evil’ because of its finesse and slyness. We also often meet foxes in Hungarian proverbs, like: Sly like a fox; It is difficult to entrap the old fox. Not only its slyness, but its learning abilities are also emphasized here. The famous Hungarian writer of the 20th century Istvan Fekete tried to change this rather negative picture in his fiction, Vuk. It has been popular not only for the Hungarian children, but for the children all over the world. Vuk, the fox-cub fights for justice and freedom. With its childlike character this little fox gets very close to the reader’s heart. A very popular cartoon was also made on the base of this fiction. The character of the fox is also present in recent Hungarian poetry, eg. in the poems of Peter Pollágh where it serves to express gloomy mood. Weöres Sándor: Regélő Három görbe legényke, róka rege róka, tojást lopott ebédre, róka rege róka, lett belőle rántotta, róka rege róka, a kutya lerántotta, róka rege róka.

Egyik szidta gazdáját, róka rege róka, másik meg a fajtáját, róka rege róka, harmadik az ükapját, róka rege róka, hozzávágta kalapját, róka rege róka.

A FABLE IN HUNGARIAN WITH THE TRANSLATION

La Fontaine: A holló meg a róka Holló úr ült a fatetőn Csőrébe sajt volt, jókora, S kit a jóillat csalt oda, A róka szólt hízelkedőn: "Á, jónapot, te drága holló! Mi szép vagy! nincsen is hozzád hasonló!Nem tódítok, de hogyha hangod Olyan, mint rajtad ez a toll, ó Akkor a madarak között első a rangod." A holló erre rendkívül örül, Torkán egy hangot köszörül, Kitátja csőrét, földre hull a sajtja A róka felveszi és egyre hajtja. "A hizelgő, akármi fajta, Azokból él, akiknek hízeleg: Felér a sajttal ez a lecke - vedd." A holló ámul, pironkodva, végre Megesküszik, hogy nem megy soha jégre.

The Raven and the Fox Perched on a lofty oak, Sir Raven held a lunch of cheese; Sir Fox, who smelt it in the breeze, Thus to the holder spoke: "Ha! how do you do, Sir Raven? Well, your coat, sir, is a brave one! So black and glossy, on my word, sir, With voice to match, you were a bird, sir, Well fit to be the Phoenix of these days." Sir Raven, overset with praise, Down fell the luncheon from the oak; Which snatching up, Sir Fox thus spoke: "The flatterer, my good sir, Aye lives on his listener; Which lesson, if you please, Is doubtless worth the cheese." A bit too late, Sir Raven swore The rogue should never cheat him more.

Estonian magazines and newspapers

FOX – SQUARES: an Estonian crossword magazine for children.

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YOUR FOREST. An Estonian forest owners’ magazine.

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A COMICS from the newspaper. Old women, “How does it happen that every day a couple of hens and a beehive go missing?” Bear and Fox,” Are you sure they don’t recognize us? Of course not, we are wearing masks!”

Estonian theatre

REINUVADER REBANE. A play for the children in Pärnu theatre.

Hungarian film Vuk (1981) is one of the most well-known Hungarian animated films, based on the novel Vuk by István Fekete. "Vuk" - the name of the main character of the film - is the abbreviation of "Vadászom, Utamból Kotródj!" which in Hungarian means "I'm hunting, stay away from my path!"

•Vuk (the main character of a Hungarian tale and cartoon):

Sayings and proverbs “Sour”, said the fox about the rowanberries. (Finland) Meaning: If you can’t get something you want, you can always disparage it’s value. Somebody has a fox’s tail under one’s arm. (Finland) Meaning: Somebody is not completely honest in one’s sayings and actions. Sly like a fox (Hungary, Estonia) It is difficult to entrap the old fox. (Hungary) The fox has the stregth of one man but the wisdom of ten men, the bear has the strength of ten men but the wisdom of one man. (Estonia) The fox knows the languages of nine birds and nine other animals. (Estonia) Meaning: the fox is a clever animal. The badger is the fox’s worker (Estonia) Meaning: The badger makes a burrow and the fox inhabits it. There comes time when the sly fox is trapped. (Estonia) The fox’s tail is visible. Meaning: The thief gets caught one day. The thief in noticed. The fox eats better than the wolf. (Estonia) Meaning: The cunning person can do better.

Fox stories written by students

A fox without a friend Otried to be nice to everyone, but despite that no one played with him. The fox felt that everyone discriminated him. Not single one of the animals that lived in the forest even bothered to say hello to the fox, even when they went right next to hHe was really sad because he would have wanted a buddy to play with. Oanimals played with each others. After he has drunk, the fox went to ask if he could join them. But still he was discriminated, so he was just sent away. He became very sad and decided to move away from the forest, and find a new, good placewhere everybody were friends with everybody. So the fox left. He had just travelled for a little wh

nce upon a time there was a fox. He was special because he had no friends. He

im.

ne day the fox went drinking to the stream. At that moment he saw how the other

ile at the edge of the forest when

.

hey went on and on, and after travelling few days, they arrived at the edge of a .

owards to them came a big herd of animals. They said that the dos and the fox

ext: Suvi Määttä (Finland)

summer day of a fox

a little dog came towards him. The fox asked the dog where he was going. The dogsaid that he had no place to go because he had been abandoned as a puppy. Fox said that neither he had a home, they both were in the same situation. So the fox asked the dog if he liked to come with him to find a new, good forest where to settle down. The dog said "yes", and so they left together to find another forest Tbig forest. The fox suggested to the dog that it was a good-looking forest to live onThe dog agreed- So they went deeper into the forest to see if there were other animals. Twere welcome to live in the forest. So they made their own nests on a good spot near to each others. After that fox never felt himself slighted and lonely, because everybody were friends with everybody in the forest. T A

when the rays of sunlight hit hid eyes. He stretched and traightened up himself with his full height and finally yawned with his mouth wide

the birds chirped and flowers smiled beautifully to the fox, who smiled ack. He went slowly to the riverbank and took a little piece of a tree bark. He

ak

A fox wake up in his nest sopen. He stepped into the kitchen and boiled himself an egg and made some coffee. After he had eaten, the fox looked out of the window and decided to go for a walk. Outside bwatched it for a while and whittled a little boat of it. For its mast the boat go an o

of a birch, which had fallen off by the storms of a winter. After it had got to the river,the boat flashed like a lightning and glided like a bird among the heaven's clouds. After a while the bark disappeared behind a bend of a river.

he fox slit his narrow streaky eyes trying to prevent the sun not to dazzle, but the

fox

t the riverbank he put a fishing road to the water. Not much time had passed the

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ext: Olli Karjalainen (Finland)

think that the fox is very cunning. A big number of foxes is not good because they kill

little cunning quick predator. It is orange and with a bushy tail. It can see well and is

cunning clever skilful animal. Orange, steals chickens.

think that the fox is a beautiful animal. The fox is cunning but at the same time shy. It is a

Tsun just kept on shining. When the fox got tired of grinning and slitting his eyes, he left to a small birch forest to get some rest. On the way there he saw a flock of thrushes jumping on the side of a road. The birds ran away when they saw the because they thought that he was going to eat them. The forest was quiet, so the fox decided to take a nap under a tree. Awhen at the end of the fishing-line there was a little perch. Fox let the perch off hook and put it into a bucket next to him. He didn't get any more fish so as a merciful person he let the little perch go to continue its life. The sun was settindown and it was time to the fox to go home T

The Estonian students’ thoughts about the fox

I domestic animals. The appearance of the fox suits well with spring and autumn.

Acapable of learning.

A

I brisk animal. They are not good when they come to kill chickens.

cunning bushy tailed animal with a size of a little dog. I makes several tunnels into its

he fox is a beautiful and harmless animal. It is cunning and a fast runner.

he fox is an insidious animal who eats chickens and other animals.

he fox is pretty but too bad for the farms. It has a very good hearing and a lovely face. It is

he fox is cunning and lovely. I think that if to keep it as a pet it would be like a cat –

’s an orange animal who lives in the forest. The tip of the tail is white. It has shiny thick

The fox is a canid. It’s a predator. It’s a cunning animal who lives in the forest and comes

he fox has a long snout and slanted eyes. It can sneak very well. It seems like it could

’s a canid with reddish coat, bushy tail and beautiful face. It has pricked ears. It eats meat.

s orange and white coat is used for making shawls and fur coats. It’s enemy is the dog. It’s

Aden. It goes to farmhouses to eat eggs and takes chickens to the forest where it eats them.

T

T

Ta small cunning animal. It has beautiful colour.

Tsometimes wilful and sometimes wants to sit in the lap.

Itcoat. It’s a cunning animal who is difficult to hunt because it’s very quick. Foxes often catch rabies.

out of the forest at night.

Tunderstand human speech.

ItIt’s a strong animal. It hides food in the ground and digs it out when it’s hungry.

Itnickname is chicken thief.

The fox is a mammal and a predator. It hunts animals for food, mainly hares, birds and chickens. There are male and female foxes. It’s a canid. It lives in self-made burrows. The fox is actually not so clever as it is shown in cartoons.

Revontulet (“Foxes fire”) - Northern lights in Finnish folklore

All the people inhabiting the polar region, have their own name for northern lights. In Swedish they are called norrsken, in Norwegian they are nordlys, in Icelandic they are nordurljós, in Estonian põhja valgus, in Inuit languages they are referred to koeeit etc. In all the main European languages there is a describing word for the northern lights. For example, das Nordlicht in German and in English they are described as Northern lights or Polar lights. In most cases the word referring to the natural phenomena describes the visual shape, the evening light that shines in the northern horizon. What is then the origin of the Finnish word “revontulet”? In the Eastern and Northern Finnish folklore the firefox is a mythic animal that was the secret desire of every hunter. A hunter who would catch the firefox would gain wealth and fame therefore fulfilling a life purpose of oneself. This mysterious firefox is also portrayed in Veikko Huovinen’s (a famous Finnish novelist from Kainuu) novel “Havukka-ahon ajattelija”. People have beliefs that the fox’s fur results a cold light phenomena as it touches an object. This claim has some evidence to it. The fur of the fox acts as an electric reserver and they sparkle as one touches them with dry hands. This was used as a statement to explain how the running foxes in Lapland, hitting their tails to the trees or snow, created the northern lights. There is a similar explanation to northern lights gained from the Canadian Indians, in which the firefox`s sparkles were replaced by the karibu –deer (Edthin). Martti Haavio, a researcher and an academician of folk poetry has in his studies “Kansanomaisia käsityksiä revontulista” come to a conclusion that the firefox as the cause of the northern lights relates to the story of a fire spitting Leviathan-beast or the Behmut, emitting sparkles in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible. According to the folklore, northern lights result from a whale-like creature Leviathan, which reflects light to the sky of the Arctic Ocean through his hairy fur. As a interpretor of northern lights, the whale creature changed to a firefox, more familiar to the Finnish hunters. The generalisation of the name “Revontuli” (Foxes fire) probably took place in Christian time, according to the explanation from the Bible. The fire torches

bursting from the mouth of the Leviathan evolved into the sparkles emitting from the firefox. This way, the people have seen it as the most valuable fur animal as a counter part to the king of the Bible’s beasts, which shines like a firefox.

REBASTE RISTIMINE (“Christening of Foxes”) in Estonian folklore

When the University of Tartu was founded in 1632 there was a tradition of admitting the first-year students with some rituals – pouring water on their heads, putting salt on their tongues etc. The tradition of “christening the foxes” (that means the admission of new students) has survived in the universities till nowadays. There are different rites in different universities and faculties. (For example the philologists’ heads were touched with a huge German-Estonian dictionary.) In 1990-s this tradition also started in gymnasiums and secondary schools where the 10th class students (so called “foxes”) are “christened”. The foxes are marked out, they have to give an oath and do some exercises.