Only the mole was taken by the badger's sett.

"That's called the good life!" he said approvingly. "Down there it is always dark, always quiet, always damp. One doesn't need to see or hear anything. There is no need for ears or eyes. Only, Urask, why do you make your sett so big?"

"Well, then it is spacious and airy down there," answered Urask.

"Not necessary! Not necessary!" the mole impatiently flung his paws about. "The narrower the better. Airy? There is no need for more air than is absolutely necessary for breathing. And when the tunnels are too big you can't catch the earthworms easily, Urask."

"I don't want them," smiled Urask smugly. "Why should I start to eat earthworms when I can catch nice big real snakes in the forest. Followed up by cloudberries—that tastes splendidly. And when you then stretch yourself out in the sett, then you can really savour the good life!"

"Of course, you idle in your sett underground, but I work there," scorned the mole. "It is hard work for me there all the time. To obtain worms and grubs as my main food, this is my job. But you only sleep there. This is why we do not understand each other."

Mice and rats, too, valued Urask's sett highly. They viewed it with envy and would have liked to move in as fellow residents. But Urask growled when seeing them.

"Keep your distance, fellows! I'll eat you up immediately if you try to push your way in. I do care for this food."

And mice and rats knew it to be true as Urask was as fond of them as he was of snakes, lizards, berries and snails.

But then from the meadow came a little humming birdie with a brown back and yellow stomach. It hummed and buzzed around Urask's sett, flew even inside from time to time, walked along the walls of the sett, looked for little hollows, all the time droning.

Pricking up his ears Urask smiled to himself watching this birdie. Oh, this was a pleasant birdie, Urask loved it. If only it came to share his flat!

"Hello, bumble-bee!" Urask said finally when the little one, who looked quite old, came again out of one hole to go into the next one. "What are you looking for in my sett?"

"Buzz-buzz-hum!" answered the bumble-bee. "Oh, it's you, Urask! Hello, well hello! But you see I don't have time. I'm looking for a place for my new nest. Buzz-buzz! I never have time, I am always in a hurry. As there is an awful lot of work to do. Buzz-buzz! My wife stayed waiting on an alder-leaf near the river. She longs for a new flat and she wants to start bringing up children in it. But she doesn't have a clue where to find a new flat. It's all on my shoulders, this job. Buzz-buzz! I never have time."

And the bumble-bee disappeared into another hole somewhere. When he came out of there, Urask asked:

"Are you thinking of making your nest in my sett?"

"Oh! This is your sett then? Buzz-buzz!" answered the bumble-bee. "It is all the same to me whose sett it is. The main thing is, it should suit me. I see the walls of the sett are nicely dry, that would suit us, but the sand is very brittle, it doesn't allow you to make a nice archway for the nest. Buzz-buzz!"

"If you want, I'll put for you somewhere here a couple of stones, so that you could build a nice nest between them," offered Urask.

"Oh! Stones... yes, stones would do... if they had nice spacious gaps between them... Buzz-buzz! But why are you so interested in me coming to live in your sett, Urask?" inquired the bumble-bee. "Perhaps you want to get honey from my nest? Buzz-buzz, on that we won't agree as I have many children and they need the honey themselves."

Urask waved with his paw:

"I wouldn't get enough from the drop that one could find in your nest. I know. Your family is so small that I wouldn't even get the right taste in my mouth from the amount your family uses. A nest of real bees, that would be a different matter. Once I tumbled on a stump where they had settled. That I broke open and then it was a real feast! They did sting me a lot but I had a good thick layer of fat underneath my coat. They couldn't do anything to me. I was only flat out for a couple of days, stomach full of honey and skin full of stings. But I still lick my chops when thinking about it! No, I don't want you as a tenant because of your honey, it is because of your buzzing. This nice buzzing, you know."

"Mmm-mmm," hummed the bumble-bee. "I can't really grasp it... What has the buzzing to do with a flat?"

"It has indeed," laughed Urask. "You buzz always so sweetly that it makes one nicely sleepy. And lying down there with you buzzing in the hall would be marvellous, then I could have a really good sleep."

"I see," muttered the bumble-bee. "That's fine. I do not have anything against that. Buzz-buzz, mmm-mmm! I never notice it myself that I buzz or hum—or so. I don't know, is it really so? I feel I am always quiet."

Urask laughed with relish.

"You are funny! This buzzing follows you everywhere like an eternal drone. Only when you are still you are a bit quieter. But even then you are not totally silent. Then you whimper and make little creaking noises. However, this does not happen very often. Most of the time you are buzzing. And when the sun is shining sometimes into the sett through one entrance or another with you buzzing about, then the sleep couldn't be any better. Just sleep and listen. Just sleep and listen. So, are you coming here? I won't take any rent from you, but I will build you a nice flat from stones here in the archway at the entrance to the sett. Agreed?"

"Agreed," buzzed the bumble-bee. "But you must not tell me any more that you take me in because I buzz all the time. In my own view I am always very quiet, very quiet—and thinking to myself. But you say this buzzing follows me always like an eternal drone. This... this is not polite to say. I don't do anything like this."

"Alright, I won't mention it again," smiled Urask. "You are the quietest birdie I know. Lovely. Come back in two days and your flat will be ready."

"That's agreed then," answered the bumble-bee and flew away buzzing. Oh no, that wasn't buzzing, that was real droning. Whoever heard it, looked round automatically and smiled. Or, in the badger's case, felt how the sleep started to descend on him in the warm sunshine.

Urask's sett was made ready for the haymaking season. It had eight entrances or exits and two floors. On the upper floor there was a spacious dining room, where Urask could freely relish frogs, snakes, lizards and snails followed by strawberries, cloudberries or raspberries. Downstairs was a bedroom with a big wide nest, lined with soft moss, dead grass and dried leaves.

Thus Urask slept in his new flat with bumble-bees buzzing above in the passages. There were two of them now—the mother bee was there as well and they buzzed almost all day as they never stood still, they had always something to do, building the nest or gathering food. Urask downstairs listened to it with pleasure and thought that one could again enjoy life after all this effort.

Urask's life was now arranged so that during the night he went hunting to gather food and during the day he slept. Only seldom did he get up during the day as well, went to drink at the stream, sat a while in the sunshine and viewed green meadows. Then he lay down again and dozed or slept. The haystack, where he had previously stayed overnight, was not there any more now and people were busy making new stacks. Urask was afraid of people; as they had troubled him with their guns and dogs quite a lot already when he was younger.

Once, when Urask was pleasantly asleep he heard steps and rustle above the ground.

Immediately the badger was on his feet and listened and sniffed.

Oh yes, that probably was a dog. And where there is a dog, man cannot be far either.

Urask sneaked quietly into the higher tunnels of his sett and tried to peep out of one hole.

Aha, it was only a small person! It must have been the son of a human, like animals have sons—a lot smaller than themselves. But a dog was with this little person, too. However, this dog wasn't big either. And neither of them had a gun. This was important. Urask recognised the gun very well and he knew also what it was for. Without a gun neither a person nor a dog could do anything to Urask. That made Urask feel bolder.

The person squatted down in front of an entrance and tried to look into the sett. Then he took a stone and threw it in. But all this did no harm to Urask. He only grinned.

Then the person encouraged the dog to get into the sett. The dog would have liked to go but he had long legs and he could only crawl there. In this manner he, of course, could not get very far.

For a long time they fiddled about around the sett and Urask did not know what they finally intended to undertake. He had to be on his guard.

But suddenly one could hear an angry buzzing and droning, as if two agitated bumble-bees were attacking the boy and the dog. The boy waved about with his arms and the dog pulled his ears against his head and his tail fell between his legs. Neither of them liked this agitated buzzing. The boy considered an ordinary bee sting a trifle compared with one from a bumble-bee. They both quickly ran down from the mound and disappeared into the meadow.

Troublesome times are coming again! thought Urask sadly, descending. If they start sniffing round here, there will be no peace any more. Indeed, the place was beautiful, but troubled. In the swamp it was more peaceful and quieter.

And Urask decided to be careful.

He went hunting in the night but he didn't return to his sett in the morning. Instead he stayed some distance from the sett in a thick bush. He wasn't quite sure why he was doing it, but nevertheless felt a compulsion to do so.

And look! In the mid-morning, after Urask had fallen asleep, he was woken by the sound of footsteps, and he saw people coming from the meadow with a dog. This dog was quite different from the one he had seen yesterday. This one had short crooked legs and big jaws, although he himself was small. And there were two persons: the little one who had been there on the previous day and a big one. And the big one had a gun!

Urask started to shiver despite the warm weather. And at the same time he felt how good it was not to be down in the sett now.

Things started to happen.

The little dog with crooked legs went down into Urask's sett and stayed there for a long time, whilst the people stood on top of it looking round keenly.

Urask understood everything very well.

This dog with low crooked legs could move in the sett freely, his legs were as if meant for that. Now he was sniffing there in every corner, but he was fooled Urask was not there. And the people on top of the sett were looking closely to see if Urask was running out of one of the exits to make a bang with their gun at him!

Had Urask been nearer, he could have heard them talk to each other and to the dog. Urask of course wouldn't have understood the words. Actually this wouldn't have even been necessary as the words expressed what Urask knew roughly anyway.

"He is not there," said the big man to the little one—the father to the son—as this was the owner of the meadow with his son.

And he called to the dog in the sett:

"Look, look well, Taksi! Look, look! Drive him out! Drive him out! Don't give up, there's a good dog, Taksi!"

The dog whined 'down, but there was no-one to be driven out.

"Perhaps it is an abandoned sett... " said the man. "Who knows where he has moved from here... Or is he not at home? Well, we'll come and have another look tomorrow. And the day after tomorrow, too. If he isn't here then either, then he must have moved somewhere else or maybe has perished... "

And the people together with the dog went down the hill to the meadow where they soon disappeared behind the bushes.

But a wise instinct told Urask: Do not go into the sett! Don't! And Urask didn't. He went hunting in the night, but did not go to the stream for a drink, instead he drank from a puddle, and in the morning he crept into the bush again.

The people with the low-legged dog and the gun came again in the mid-morning. Again the dog went into the sett, stayed there for a long time, but didn't bark, growl or whine and finally just came out disappointed.

The big person said to the little one:

"It looks as if he has moved away from here. Otherwise... why should it be? Two days in a row... Well! We'll come once more tomorrow."

And the same happened. Urask did not go to the sett, hunted in the night, ate and drank elsewhere and slept in the bush till the next day.

On this day he had to wait for a long time: the people wouldn't come. The evening fell and Urask already wanted to move towards the sett when he saw the dog coming out of the bushes followed by people.

The dog went into the sett but came out again immediately and did not want to go back.

"That's a pity!" called the big person to the little one. "He does not live here any more. The dog doesn't even want to go down. It isn't exciting for him. Never mind! Today we'll go home. In the winter we could come and have another look. Perhaps he returns for the winter."

And they left.

Urask kept away from the sett for another three days and nights. Then he moved in again. And everything was once more peaceful and quiet. No people, no dogs. Hay-makers disappeared from the meadow. New grass started to grow, ducks splashed in the stream, deer came to eat in the meadow and there were quite a few stars in the sky at night.

Urask thought that danger and trouble were past and he led a peaceful and cosy life again. In the daytime he slept in his sett, warmed himself from time to time in the sunshine, went hunting in the night and listened to the buzzing of the bumble-bees when going to sleep in the morning. In the stream below there were fishes plopping and an old pike weaved around the ducks. But this didn't disturb Urask's sleep.

But once... Once, when Urask returned from his nightly hunt, stomach full and sweet tiredness in his entire body, ready to lie down on his soft bed, a very angry beast jumped at him from his sett and growled:

"Out!"

Urask was highly surprised.

"How—out?! This is after all my flat!"

"Rubbish!" answered the hairy beast. "This is my flat. Do you understand, you old sloth?"

Urask felt more and more surprised, but also anxious, as this hairy beast was—the fox.

The fox is the badger's enemy and competitor, as he, too, likes to live in a den and to eat mice, berries and sometimes even snakes and frogs. They are about the same size, but the fox is thinner, more slender and agile, his coat is thicker, his skin tougher, and what's more—his teeth are sharper. The badger is, compared with the fox, really a "slowcoach", his body is like that of a pig, he is thick-set, his skin is tender, underneath the skin is a thick layer of fat that makes him even stockier. The badger's movements are clumsy compared with the fox, he doesn't have the agility nor the swiftness of the fox, his teeth are indeed big, but compared with those of the fox they are a lot more blunt.

This all compels the badger to be afraid of the fox and back away from him. If he does not do this, he can expect a thrashing from the fox. The latter is a real plunderer, who lives to hunt day in and day out, neither thinking about the future nor accumulating reserves. And he is too lazy to dig a den for himself, as he is not keen on such work. He considers himself to be a fine creature, who lives purely for hunting and amusement like a baron amongst animals. He reminds you of a baron also because of his arrogant behaviour towards other animals. He has more impudence and boasting in store than anybody else.

Urask had heard all this before, but he also felt it instinctively. The hedgehog, too, had told the badger that the fox would not leave him in peace, should he like his sett. And now it had happened.

Urask was a strong young animal as badgers go and he had not felt the fox's teeth yet. He did get frightened, as this was in his nature, but he did not back down immediately, instead he intended to fight for his home as long as he could.

"I have built this sett," he explained. "Until now I have lived here, too. How can it be yours then?"

"Because," replied the fox haughtily, "I have decided to take it for myself. Do you understand? You may well have built it and lived in it, but as I have moved in now, it's mine and that's that. I am not going to undertake such an unpleasant and hard job as building a den myself, that suits somebody like you very well. And now see that you get away. Otherwise... "

And the fox bared his teeth.

Urask plucked up courage. The fox stood in the den, with his head sticking out. Like this it was difficult to attack him, as his body was protected and only the head was within reach. And in this small and hairy head flashed very sharp teeth.

Urask pretended to leave slowly and the fox followed him with his glance. Reaching the other side of the sett, Urask suddenly jumped in through another entrance hoping to attack the fox from behind.

But the fox—sly as he was—had seen through this idea. Urask hadn't yet reached the middle of the sett when the fox met him with bared teeth and leapt into the attack.

A short sharp fight followed, in which Urask was inevitably the loser, as the fox is much more agile, nimble and skilful. Particularly as the fight took place in the narrow sett, where it was impossible for the fatter and clumsier Urask to make as quick movements as the fox.

Besides, Urask's skin was more tender, his coat thinner and teeth blunter. Soon his body was full of wounds, whilst his teeth didn't often even penetrate the thick coat of the fox.

Pain and fear that the fox would take his life made the badger escape. Quickly he ran out of the sett and took to his heels towards the forest.

The fox sneered after him:

"Good night, dear fellow! I hope we won't see each other in a hurry. Otherwise... Today you got away alive, but another time, who knows how it goes."

Whining miserably, Ur-ask ran for a few kilometres before he threw himself down underneath a bush and started to lick his wounds there.

His life became sad and difficult. The baron fox lived in his sett and tasted the fruits of his hard work, whilst he had to crouch in bushes suffering from rain and cold. It was only late summer, but as Urask had been used to sleeping in the sett, it wasn't easy to be underneath a bush during these cool late summer nights.

And especially—the injustice! The other had come and taken away the fruit of his hard work and sneered into the bargain. This was bitter. And the winter was coming soon, when Urask needed to hibernate, this being nature's law. But if you do not have a sett, where can you lie down? It wasn't Urask's laziness, this wintersleep. It was a necessity as he could not catch food anywhere in the winter. Then it was not possible to get snakes, lizards, snails, frogs, insects or roots of plants. Poor Urask had to feed himself very well in the summer to put on a lot of weight to be able to sleep at the bottom of his sett. But when there was no sett? Should he start to build another one? Could he get it ready before winter? And in any case, some fox could take over that one as well. This drove him to despair.

Urask complained to other animals and birds. But nobody could help him against the fox. The hedgehog recommended him to turn to the bear. But the bear was also an overlord and a friend of the fox's. The fox knew how to cheat the bear with his cunning. When somebody went to the bear to complain, the fox brought him a rabbit or a fish and recounted his own version of the story, skilfully telling lies. And the bear, simple-minded, believed more the one who knew how to please and flatter him. The fox was a big dandy and a big rogue, whilst the bear was the honourable "king" of the forests. This is how animals and birds called him. But the fact was that the big dandy and swindler was more to the "king's" liking than other honest animals. Thus the "king" couldn't really be totally honest either, he knew how to take bribes and bend the law if it was useful for him.

Urask was also recommended to go to the wolf. But the wolf was an even bigger enemy of the badger. When he caught a badger, he just gobbled him up. Try to look for justice from such like! Besides there was no wolf nearby—and this was good luck for the badger: otherwise, who knows, perhaps he wouldn't have been there any more.

Once, prowling round the forest sadly, Urask stumbled somewhere in the brushwood onto a dog, who was lying alone there and didn't even get up when the badger was coming nearer.

This was most unusual and the badger stood for a long time in the distance thinking what to do—whether to escape or to go nearer still. Dogs are after all the badger's enemies, too, although not quite as implacable as the fox. They could follow the badger at times, but they did not want to kill him. Only those small, low, shortlegged dogs tended to get into the badger's sett and quarrel there to drive him out in front of the hunter's gun.

This dog, lying there on the ground, didn't have low legs and Urask had never seen him in the forest. But why did he lie there and not get up and show interest in following Urask? This was strange.

Urask approached the dog and asked finally: "Why don't you get up and follow me?"

The dog answered:

"I am wounded and I can't go anywhere. My death is near."

Urask was even more surprised and stepped nearer still:

"How strange! I have never seen before that a house-dog lies dying in the forest! Who wounded you?"

"A man."

"A man wounded a dog! This I have never heard before!"

"Yes, this was a stranger, not my owner," sighed the dog. "He saw me in the forest and fired the gun at me. I fled but didn't get any further than here."

"Where is your home then?"

"My home is in the farm there, behind the forest. I am a farmdog. I ran thoughtlessly into the forest and followed a hare just for the fun of it. But this stranger didn't like it. I have heard from other dogs that dogs must not roam the forests. And so I was punished. I do not grumble, I shouldn't have been reckless to follow the hare."

"Do you not eat hares then?" asked the badger.

"I have plenty of food at home," replied the dog. "I didn't need to eat hares. Pure recklessness drove me into the forest. And now I have to die."

But the badger felt sorry for a dog who was so honest and just. The badger realised for the first time that there were various kinds of dogs.

"Perhaps you won't die," he reckoned.

"How could I escape it?" replied the dog. "My wound isn't that bad, but hunger will kill me. I have been here for four days now and have had nothing to eat. Good that there is at least a puddle right beside me, so I can drink."

"This is horrible!" the badger was scared. "Four days without food! I would have been long dead then! But what do you like to eat? I'll bring you something."

"I eat bread... " explained the dog.

"What is that?" wondered the badger.

"This is bread," explained the dog in his turn with surprise. "Do you not eat bread then?"

"I haven't a clue what it is!"

"Quite possible that you cannot get it in the forest," consented the dog, "as people make it. But what about soup?"

"I don't know this either," the badger shook his head.

"True, this is also made by people. And porridge, too... But what do you eat then here in the forest?"

"Snakes," replied the badger. "Snails. Lizards. Frogs. Berries."

The dog sighed.

"I don't eat any of this. Snakes! Pooh! I feel sick when I think about it! Or altogether frogs! Outrageous! Don't you have any mice then here?"

"Mice, yes!" cheered the badger. "Those I eat, too. I could bring you some. And perhaps you eat fish? There are fish in this stream."

"I eat fish, too," agreed the dog. "And when you go fishing, bring me some long sedge-like weeds, they are medicine for me."

"This I'll do with pleasure."

Thus the badger saved the dog's life.

The dog recovered soon and the badger told him all about his troubles: that the fox had driven him out of his sett so that he had to spend miserable days without a flat and a home.

The dog promised to help the badger as a sign of gratitude.

"I am not quite well yet," he said, "but I'll get the better of the fox. Show me where he lives and I'll teach him so that he won't want to come near your sett again."

"You can't reach him," doubted the badger. "Your legs are long, you can't get into the sett. Of course you are stronger than the fox as you are much bigger. But this is unfortunate, too, as you couldn't move in the sett, even if you should get into it. The fox will bite you here and there and he'll be able to attack you from everywhere."

"Doesn't matter," answered the dog. "I won't go into the sett. I'll Tie in wait near the sett. And when he comes I'll tackle him in front of the sett."

"This is a good plan," agreed the badger.

And they went to lie in wait for the fox.

But the fox was sly. He had noticed that the badger had made friends with a dog and he became very careful because of this. Every time he was going to leave the den he looked round and sniffed for a long time before coming out. And then he slipped quietly out of an exit so that the dog and the badger didn't notice him. The fox was already in the forest but the dog and the badger were still lurking in front of the den waiting for him. The sly Reynard laughed to himself when he eyed them from behind some bushes in the forest.

The same happened when the fox came back. He sneaked in through some entrance and sat down there sneering whilst the others kept vainly waiting for him not knowing that their sly enemy was already in the den.

"We won't get anywhere like this," said the dog finally, when he had been waiting in vain for a few days. "He is sly and full of tricks. One has to deal with him differently. You, Urask, sit alone here in front of the den, I'll go into the nearby forest. When he comes, either from the forest or the den, he thinks you are alone and attacks you. You hold on to him until I come to your help. And then I'll show him!"

So they did.

But the fox was a fox, he was slyer than his opponents thought. When he came out of the forest and saw Urask sitting in front of the den, he sensed something suspicious. The badger wouldn't have the courage to sit here alone, surely the dog must be somewhere near, thought the fox and smirked to himself.

And indeed, the badger would not have sat there without the dog. The badger was shivering from fear even with the dog being nearby, but he didn't dare to show or mention it to the dog.

The fox crept into the den and didn't pay any attention to the badger, as if he weren't there. Of course he would have immediately attacked the badger if he hadn't sensed the presence of the dog.

"Isn't this a thorough rascal!" swore the dog in the forest. "In no way can one catch him! But somehow we'll do so: you block every entrance with sand apart from one, and I'll stand guard in front of this one. At the moment he is down in the den and eventually hunger will drive him out of there. Then he won't have any choice. Then we'll see!"

Urask blocked seven exits and the dog sat in front of the eighth.

The dog sat for one day, for two—the badger brought him food from time to time, but the fox didn't show himself.

"Is he dead? Or does he not have courage to come up?" wondered the dog. "Is he afraid so much that he would rather die?"

But then he saw the fox's tail disappear into a hole further on.

Examining it, they found that the fox had quietly opened out that entrance and been to the forest—perhaps even several times. It was easy for him to push the loose sand away from the exit.

"Now nothing else will work," said the dog to the badger, "you will just have to close the exits really firmly! So that he doesn't get out! Let him die of hunger—he has deserved it. Why does he pester you and fool me, too? There is no end to his crimes. He doesn't cheat just us. His entire life is based on tricks like this."

The badger agreed and started to scrape at all the holes very thoroughly and as hard as possible so that they were full. But the fox—he must have had good instincts—realized what was probably going on, and suddenly, whilst the dog and the badger were busy near one of the exits, he slipped out and tore towards the forest. The dog ran after him, but he was still weak from his illness and could not run quickly enough. Amongst the bushes the fox managed to hide and disappear. The dog sniffed his tracks and looked round for a long time, but he didn't find him any more.

"This time he won't come back in a hurry," thought the dog. "For just in case we should fill all but one of the holes and then stay near that one. Should he come back at all, he could only enter through this hole—and he won't get past me then."

So they did. But the fox didn't show himself any more.

The dog said to the badger:

"I have been away from home for a very long time now. I must show myself to my owner. Otherwise he will think that I am dead, will take another dog and won't let me in any more. I'll go home, stay there for a few days and then come to see you again. Probably the fox will appear meanwhile and go into the den through the open entrance. You keep all the others well closed, then I'll catch him near the open one."

"I can't do this, when you are not here any more," said the badger sadly. "When I am on my own, the fox will come out, attack me and drive me away... Without you I can't do anything."

This made the dog very sad, nevertheless he thought that he had to go home for a few days. Otherwise he himself could be in trouble. He went and promised to come back soon. Already that evening the fox came out of the forest, bared his teeth at the escaping badger and settled in the den again.

It was autumn already. The weather was cold and it rained. The badger was deeply worried. Where and how was he going to spend the winter? Migrating birds circled in the air, the hedgehog was building the nest for the winter, and snakes and frogs alike settled into their winter homes. Only the badger didn't have an abode.

He waited for the dog to return, but the days passed—and the dog didn't come back. The badger didn't find out whether something had happened to him or perhaps he wasn't let out any more. The days got colder and on some nights frost was covering the ground.

Then Urask plucked up courage and thought: come what may, I have to fight for my home myself. If I am killed, then I am killed, but I can't stand this injustice any more. Why should I freeze to death when this other beast is enjoying the fruits of my hard work.

Urask remembered how he had fought with the polecat in the spring. The polecat had also looked very fearful from the haystack and Urask had been afraid of him, but when they started to fight, the polecat hadn't been all that good a rival despite pretending to be one. Of course, the fox was much bigger than the polecat, the fox had always won so far, but the badger had feared him too much. What if to pluck up courage and not to fear... Or even whilst frightened, to think that there is no other way: be it life or death... should one freeze or die between the fox's teeth... We'll see...

Urask knew that he was stronger than the fox, just that he wasn't as quick and didn't have as sharp teeth. What if he could match the fox's agility and sharp teeth with his own strength and strong teeth?

Their last fight had taken place in the sett. There it had been narrow and the fox had been able to use his agility whilst Urask was hindered by his stoutness and clumsiness. Urask's skin was tender and sensitive to bites, whilst the fox's skin wasn't. What if the fight could happen in a place where the fox wouldn't be in such a favourable position or where he couldn't bite as much? How would it go then?

Once, when the fox came out of the forest towards the den, the badger jumped from some bushes onto his back. This was an open area, it wasn't confined here like in the sett, here the fight could go more favourably for the badger. The fox struggled underneath him, but Urask held on to his neck and bit painfully. In any case it had been a big surprise to the fox that the badger had had the courage to attack him. The fox was fuming and snorted and whined from pain and anger. Finally he managed to throw Urask off his neck and now he could attack in his turn. Jumping round quickly, the fox bit Urask painfully in several places, so that the badger's tender skin was broken and bleeding. This way the fox had always made the badger flee. But Urask had decided not to pay any attention to the pain and fight for life or death, as long as he had any strength left.

Suddenly Urask attacked the fox again and threw him down. His heavy body was to his advantage, whilst the fox's lightness made him vulnerable. Urask sank his teeth into the throat of the fox who had fallen onto his back. The fox tried to free his neck, tossing about and scratching Urask's stomach with his claws so that it bled, but the badger did not open his jaws, instead he squeezed harder and harder, until the fox gasped for breath. Wheezing and groaning the fox howled now miserably, pleading, but Urask answered:

"I know you! If I let you go, you'll soon be in my sett through your slyness—and there I can't stand up to you. This is why you won't get mercy! One can be merciful, to a good honest rival, but not to someone like you, who wants to live comfortably from another's hard work!"

And the badger didn't let his enemy loose until he fell silent and died.

Then Urask got up triumphantly and proudly shook his bleeding body. His courage and resistance had brought him victory. Had he carried on being afraid of the fox, he would have lost his sett and frozen miserably to death in the winter.

Urask moved into his sett again and from this time onwards he wasn't afraid of foxes any more. And the foxes soon got to know how Urask had put an end to one of their kind and left him in peace.

Urask lived for a long time and he was known in the forest as a brave animal.

Jacob Baranski

Copyrighted material; do not reprint without permission.

 

View all articles by Jacob Baranski