English Original
There was once an old fox with nine tails who doubted his wife's faithfulness. To test her, he pretended to be dead by lying motionless under a bench.
Mrs. Fox retreated to her room, while her maid, Miss Cat, stayed by the fire cooking. When news spread of the old fox's death, suitors began to arrive.
A knock came at the door. Miss Cat opened it to find a young fox.
"What are you doing, Miss Cat? Are you asleep or awake?"
She replied,
"I am not sleeping, I am awake.
Would you like to know what I make?
I'm boiling warm beer with butter so fine.
Will you come in and have some wine?"
"No, thank you," said the fox. "What is Mrs. Fox doing?"
The maid answered,
"She sits alone in her room,
Bewailing her gloomy doom,
Weeping her eyes so sore and red,
Because old Mr. Fox is dead."
"Please tell her a young fox is here who wishes to woo her."
"Certainly, young sir."
The cat goes up the stairs trip, trap,
The door she knocks at tap, tap, tap.
"Mistress Fox, are you inside?"
"Oh yes, my little cat," she cried.
"A suitor waits at the door out there."
"Tell me, dear, what does he wear?"
"But does he have nine beautiful tails like the late Mr. Fox?"
"Oh, no," answered the cat. "He has only one."
"Then I will not have him."
Miss Cat went downstairs and sent the suitor away. Soon, another knock came. This fox had two tails but was also rejected. More suitors came, each with one more tail than the last, but all were turned away. Finally, a fox with nine tails arrived.
Hearing this, the widow said joyfully to the cat,
"Now open the gates and doors all wide,
And carry old Mr. Fox outside."
But just as the wedding was about to begin, old Mr. Fox stirred under the bench. He beat the crowd with a cudgel and drove them all, including Mrs. Fox, out of the house.
中文翻译
从前，有一只九尾老狐狸，他怀疑妻子对自己不忠，于是想试探她。他躺在长凳下一动不动，假装死了。
狐狸夫人回到自己房间关上门，而她的女仆猫咪小姐则坐在炉火旁做饭。老狐狸去世的消息传开后，求婚者纷纷上门。
一阵敲门声响起。猫咪小姐开门，看到一只年轻的狐狸。
"猫咪小姐，你在做什么？是睡着了还是醒着？"
她回答道：
"我没睡，我醒着，
你想知道我在做什么吗？
我在煮香喷喷的黄油热啤酒，
先生可愿进来喝一杯？"
"不，谢谢，"狐狸说。"狐狸夫人在做什么？"
女仆答道：
"她独自坐在房间里，
为悲惨的命运哀泣，
哭得眼睛又红又肿，
因为老狐狸先生已逝去。"
"请告诉她，有位年轻的狐狸在此，想要向她求婚。"
"好的，年轻的先生。"
猫咪上楼，踢踏，踢踏，
她敲门，嗒，嗒，嗒。
"狐狸夫人，您在吗？"
"哦，在的，我的小猫咪，"她喊道。
"门外有位求婚者在等候。"
"亲爱的，告诉我他是什么模样？"
"但他有像已故狐狸先生那样漂亮的九条尾巴吗？"
"哦，没有，"猫咪回答。"他只有一条。"
"那我不要他。"
猫咪小姐下楼送走了求婚者。很快，又响起了敲门声。这只狐狸有两条尾巴，但同样被拒绝了。更多的求婚者接踵而至，每只都比前一只多一条尾巴，但全都被拒之门外。最后，来了一只拥有九条尾巴的狐狸。
听到这个消息，寡妇高兴地对猫咪说：
"现在把大门小户都敞开，
把老狐狸先生抬到外面去。"
但就在婚礼即将举行之际，长凳下的老狐狸先生动了。他用棍棒痛打这群乌合之众，把他们连同狐狸夫人一起赶出了房子。