Scottish Fairy and Folk Tales, by George Douglas, [1901], at sacred-texts.com
Scottish Fairy and Folk Tales, by George Douglas, [1901], at sacred-texts.com
ONE day the fox succeeded in catching a fine fat goose asleep by the side of a loch; he held her by the wing, and making a joke of her cackling, hissing, and fears, he said--
"Now, if you had me in your mouth as I have you, tell me what you would do?"
"Why," said the goose, "that is an easy question. I would fold my hands, shut my eyes, say a grace, and then eat you."
"Just what I mean to do," said Rory; 2 and folding his hands, and looking very demure, he said a pious grace with his eyes shut.
But while he did this the goose had spread her wings, and she was now half way over the loch; so the fox was left to lick his lips for supper.
"I will make a rule of this," he said in disgust, never in all my life to say a grace again till after I feel the meat warm in my belly."
90:1 J. F. Campbell, Popular Tales of the West Highlands.
90:2 Rory is a corruption of a Gaelic proper name, which means, one whose hair is the color of the fox "Ruadh."