ONCE upon a time there was a partridge， and that partridge was sorely troubled， for no one in the world is safe from trouble and worry。Her trouble was that for some time back she was not able to rear her young， because of Auntie Fox， who made a royal feast of the young brood。No sooner did the fox find out that the partridge had hatched her young than she tied some brambles to her tail， and， dragging it along the ground， pretended to plough the land close to the place where the partridge had her nest。
Turning to the partridge， the fox would say：
“How dare you trespass on my land！Off you go lest I eat you up。”
The partridge， frightened， would run away， and the fox would eat the young。
This had gone on for three years。
On the fourth year it so happened that， while the partridge was weeping， just as a man will do out of worry and grief， she met a hound。
“What is the matter， friend？ Why dost thou weep so？ What ails thee？ Why art thou so inconsolable？”
“Oh，”said the poor bird，“I am full of trouble。”
Then the hound said， sympathetically：“What has happened unto thee？”
“What has happened unto me？ O dear friend， so many years have I tried to rear my young， and no sooner do I see them when Auntie Fox， with the brambles and thorns trailing behind her tail， comes and claims the land， and says，‘Hast thou again hatched young on my land？ Get thee off lest I eat thee，’and I am so frightened that I run away， and the fox then takes the family and leaves me childless。”
The bird stopped here and looked despairingly at the hound。She wondered what he could do for her。But no one knows whence help may come， and just when it is least expected it arrives。And so it happened to the bird。
The dog， who had been sitting all the time listening， as it were， with half closed ears， suddenly shook himself， and said：
“Is that the trouble which ails thee？”
“Yes， that is my trouble。”
“Well， if that be so， let me come with thee， and may be that I shall be of some help。”
And so they both went to the partridge’s nest。There the dog crouched behind the bushes and waited for the fox to come。He had not to wait very long until the fox， with the brambles tied to her tail and pulling them along， made pretence of ploughing the land。
“Now then， you partridge， are you trespassing again？”