The Fox and the Capercaillie – A Russian Fairy Tale about Cunning and Caution

Summary

The Fox and the Capercaillie – a fun and educational fairy tale about cunning and caution. The capercaillie uses his wits to avoid being deceived by the fox and protect himself.

The Fairy Tale

One day, the capercaillie sat high in a tree, singing his songs. The fox, hearing him, decided to approach and say a few sweet words. “Hello, my dear capercaillie, how wonderful you sing! As soon as I heard your voice, I came right away to visit you!” said the fox, approaching the tree.

“Thank you for the kind words,” replied the capercaillie.

The fox pretended not to hear and said, “What did you say? I can’t hear you! Come down from the tree, let's talk on the grass, I won't be able to hear you from up here!”

The capercaillie replied, “Oh, fox, I cannot come down because, as birds, we know it’s dangerous to walk on the ground. There may be wild animals down there.”

The fox, knowing that the capercaillie was a cautious bird, continued, “You’re not afraid of me, are you? After all, we are friends!”

The capercaillie answered, “I’m not afraid of you, but of the other animals. You know, dogs run around the forest, and they might catch me.”

The fox paused for a moment, then said with a sly smile, “Don’t worry! There’s a new decree in the forest, and the animals don’t harm each other anymore. There’s peace throughout the land!”