The Tops and the Roots – A Fairy Tale About Greed and Justice

Summary

The fairy tale "Roots and Leaves" teaches us that greed and injustice lead to the destruction of friendships. The fox and the bear make mistakes in dividing the harvest, which leads to a break in their relationship.

The Fairy Tale

Once upon a time, in the forest, there lived a fox and a bear who were good friends. One day, they decided to plant beets. The fox suggested to the bear:

“Let’s do this, Misha, you take the leaves, and I’ll take the roots. That way, it’s fair!”

The bear agreed, and they planted the beets. The harvest turned out to be large and plentiful, and when it was time to gather it, the fox took the roots for herself, and the bear only got the leaves.

The bear looked at his leaves and realized they wouldn’t be of any use. The beet leaves were inedible, while the fox was enjoying the juicy and tasty roots.

“You tricked me!” said the bear. “Next time, I will decide for myself what to take!”

A year passed. The fox suggested to the bear:

“Let’s plant cabbage this time, Misha!”

The bear agreed, but this time he decided not to make the same mistake and said:

“No, brother, I will be smarter now! Give me the roots, and you take the leaves!”

When the cabbage was ready for harvest, they began gathering it. The fox, remembering the previous year, happily took the cabbage heads, while the bear once again ended up with the roots — completely inedible.