Archive-Fox Tales: Scrapefoot, The Fox And The Three Bears(episode 165)

Welcome to the Fox Tales series. Scrapefoot and the three bears is a story about a fox who enters the castle of the three bears but is thrown out of the window. This has many similarities to the fairy tale; Goldilocks and the three bears.

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Transcript

Once upon a time in a land not so far away, lay the most beautiful forest with mighty old trees, mosses in all shades of green, clear babbling streams, and light open spaces filled with delicate sweet-smelling flowers.

In the middle of this wonderful forest stood the castle of the Three Bears. They were the masters of the forest.

And in the same forest, there was a Fox who lived all alone, his name was Scrapefoot.

Children, can you guess why he was called, Scrapefoot?

The old fox was known for the fact that he would rather beg and bow to anyone than do an honest day of work. He was lazy. It was his typical bow whereby her foot would scrape heavily backward over the floor that earned him the name -Scrapefoot.

He was very proud of himself. He would spend hours grooming himself daily and making sure that his tail was fluffy and lovely.

Scrapefoot was very much afraid of the Bears, but amongst all the things that he wanted very much, one was that he wanted to visit the great grey castle. And one day as he was roaming through the wood he found himself near the Bears' castle, and he wondered, “ Oh, how much I want to see this big, great, grey castle of the bears from the inside!”

He wondered whether he could get into the castle. He looked to the right, he looked to the left, he looked far ahead and way behind, and he could not see anyone.

Then he skidded here and he skidded there, till at last, he arrived at the door of the big grey castle. He tried to see if he could open it. Yes! the door was not locked.

“Would it be my lucky day? Looks like I will get to go inside this great grey castle at last, ” Scrapefoot smiled to himself.

He raised his paws and pushed the door and opened it just a little more. Next, he put his nose in and looked. Luckily he could not see anyone. So, then he opened it a little way farther and put one paw in, and then another paw, and another and another, and then he was all inside the Bears' castle.

He stood at the door, awestruck.

Children, put on your thinking caps and tell me why do you think Scrapefoot was awestruck?

After a moment, he realized that he was in a great hall with beautiful chandeliers, satin curtains and walls adorned with attractive paintings.

Next, his eyes fell on the three thrones; one big, one middling, and one little one.

He thought, “Why don’t I sit on one of the thrones and feel like the master of the forest?”

So, he sat down on the big throne. But he found it so hard and uncomfortable that it made his bones ache, and he jumped down at once and got into the middling throne, and he turned round and round in it, but he couldn't make himself comfortable. So then, he went to the little chair and sat down in it, and felt very nice, “This is so soft, warm, and comfortable!” The Scrapefoot was quite happy, but all at once, it broke to pieces under him.

“Never mind! Let me see the other parts of the castle,” Leaving the throne behind, Scrapefoot walked around the castle. Soon he found the dining room. In it stood a huge heavy but beautifully carved table with three plates on it.

The first plate was filled with big smoked salmon.

Children salmon a medium-sized silver-coloured fish that lives in the seas or rivers.

The Scrapefoot thought, “The bears surely know which fish is good. So I must taste it.”

He took the plate but the strong and weird smell of the salmon made him quickly push the plate as far away as he could.

On the second plate, lay a lovely cake, dripping with honey, “Ahh, the bears are famous to know which is the best honey. So let me try this.”

A bit cautious after his first experience Scrapefoot very, very carefully took the plate. But as soon as she smelled the richness and sweetness of the honey, he pushed the plate even further away than the first one.

Looks like Scrapefoot didn’t have a sweet tooth.

Children, which is your favourite dessert?

On the third plate, stood a little saucer filled with milk.

Scrapefoot carefully smelled the milk but this did not smell too strong, too weird, too rich, or too sweet. He took a little lick and liked it so much that he went on drinking it till it was all gone.

“That was delicious! I wish there was some more,” exclaimed Scrapefoot.

Then Scrapefoot thought, “I really want to see what is upstairs in this castle.” He tried to listen to any sounds, but he could not hear anyone.

So upstairs he went, and he found a great room with three beds in it; one was a big bed, and one was a middling bed, and one was a little white bed, and Scrapefoot climbed up into the big bed, but it was so hard and lumpy and uncomfortable that he jumped down again at once, and tried the middling bed. That was rather better, but he could not get so comfortable in it as he wanted.

So after turning about a little while he got up and went to the little bed; and that was so soft and so warm and so nice that he fell fast asleep children, at once.

Children, what do you think is going to happen in the story now?

Let’s listen ahead.

And after a time the Bears came home, and when they got into the hall. The Big Bear went to his chair and said, “Who’s been sitting in my throne?” and the middling Bear said, “Who’s been sitting in my throne?” and the little Bear said, 'Who's been sitting in my throne and has broken it all to pieces?'

Next, they were feeling a little hungry. So, they went to the dining room, and the big Bear said, “Who’s touched my plate of salmon?” ' and the middling Bear said, “ Who pushed my plate so far away?” The little Bear said, 'Who's been drinking my milk and has drunk it all up?' 

Then they went upstairs and into the bedroom, and the big Bear said, “Who’s been sleeping in my bed?” and the middling Bear said, “ Who’s been sleeping in my bed?” and the little Bear said, “Who's been sleeping in my bed? -- and see here he is!”

So, then the Bears stood around the little bed came and wondered what they should do with Scrapefoot, the fox.

The s big Bear said, 'Let's hang him!' and then the middling Bear said, 'Let's drown him!' and then the little Bear said, 'Let's throw him out of the window.' And then the Bears took him to the window, and the big Bear took two legs on one side and the middling Bear took two legs on the other side, and they swung him backward and forwards, backward and forwards, and out of the window, he went.

Poor Scrapefoot was so frightened that he thought every bone in his body must be broken. But he got up and first shook one leg -- no, that was not broken; and then another, and that was not broken, and another and another, and then he wagged his tail and found there were no bones broken. So,     then he galloped off home as fast as he could go, and never went near the Bears' great, grey castle!