"Reven som gjeter" is a Norwegian fairy tale from Asbjørnsen and Moe's "Norske folkeeventyr" (Norwegian folk tales, 1841-1844). It was found at Project Runeberg and translated into English by me for E2.

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There was once a woman looking for a shepherd for her livestock. She met a bear.

"Where are you going?" said the bear.

"Oh, I'm going to hire a shepherd," said the woman.

"Don't you want me as a shepherd?" asked the bear.

"Yes, if you can call," said the woman.

"Ho-y!" said the bear.

"No, I don't want you," said the woman when she heard it, and walked away.

When she had walked a while, she met a wolf.

"Where are you going?" said the wolf.

"I'm going to hire a shepherd," said the woman.

"Don't you want me as a shepherd?" asked the wolf.

"Yes, if you can call," said the woman.

"Uh-whoo!" said the wolf.

"No, I don't want you," said the woman.

When she had walked another while, she met a fox.

"Where are you going?" said the fox.

"I'm going to hire a shepherd," said the woman.

"Don't you want me as a shepherd?" asked the fox.

"Yes, if you can call," said the woman.

"Dill-dall-holom!" said the fox, sounding very nice.

"Yes, I want you as a sheperd," the woman said and set the fox to tend her livestock.

The first day, the fox ate all the woman's goats; the second day he ate all her sheep, and the third day, he ate all her cows.

When he returned that third evening, the woman asked where her livestock was.

"Their skulls are in the river and their bodies in the woods," said the fox.

She was busy churning; but she thought she had to go and see anyway, and while she was away, the fox jumped into the churn and ate all the cream. When the woman came back and saw this, she got so angry that she threw the last drops of cream after the fox, and it hit him on the end of his tail as he ran off. This is why the tip of the fox's tail is white.

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More fairy tales here!

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