Finnish Mythology
The Wolf Sings
When the wolf had sacrificed his ox to have a feast for the fox's
servant, he had nothing left for himself and was soon very hungry. He
could not find anything to eat in the forest, so he went prowling
around a farm in the hope of getting a pig or a chicken. The only
living creature he came upon was a thin old dog who was sleeping in the
sun.
"This is better than nothing," he thought to himself and took hold of the dog to drag it off..
"Cousin! Cousin!" cried the dog. "Is this any way to treat a relative? Let me go!"
"I'm sorry," the wolf said, "but I cannot let you go. I'm too hungry."
"Let me go," the dog begged, "and I tell you what I'll do: I'll give you a bottle of vodka."
"Promises come easy," the wolf said. "Where will you get the vodka?"
"Under the bench in the kitchen. That's where the farmer keeps his
bottle. I've seen him hide it there. Come tonight after the family has
gone to sleep and I'll let you in and give you the vodka."
Now the wolf was very fond of vodka, so he said to the dog, "Very well, I'll let you go. But keep your promise!"
Late that night when the family were asleep, the wolf came scratching at the farmhouse door and the dog let him in.
"Well, old fellow, you know why I've come," the wolf said.
At once the dog crawled under the bench and got the master's bottle of
vodka. "Here it is!" he said, offering the wolf the bottle.
"You drink first," the wolf insisted. "You're the host."
The dog raised the bottle and took a little sip. Then the wolf took a
deep swallow. "Ah!" he said, smacking his lips, "that's something!"
His stomach was empty and the vodka went through his veins like fire.
He felt happy and laughed and went capering around the room. "I feel an
urge to sing!" he cried.
"Dear cousin," the dog said, "I beg you - don't sing! You will wake the folks! Sit down quietly and we'll talk."
So they sat for a while and talked and then the wolf took another deep
swallow of the vodka. Again he wanted to sing and the dog had trouble
restraining him.
"Do you want to wake the family, cousin? Be quiet now or you cannot have any more vodka!"
The wolf took another deep drink and after that there was no holding
him back. He went staggering around the room howling at the top of his
voice.
The farmer and all his family came hurrying into the kitchen with clubs and pokers and whatever they could pick up.
"It's a wolf!" the farmer cried. "The scoundrel, coming right into the house! Give him a good beating!"
If the door hadn't been open they would have clubbed the wolf to death. As it was, he barely escaped with his life.
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