Pork and Honey
by Unknown · from Tales of Laughter: A third fairy book
Adapted Version
Bruin and Reynard lived in a green forest.
Bruin the Bear walked through the bog. He carried a very big pig. He walked over the green land. Bruin was strong and happy. Reynard the Fox saw him. Reynard sat on a stone. "Good day, old friend," he said. "What is that nice food you have?"
"It is good pork," said Bruin. "I have something better too," said Reynard. "It has much sweet honey. Bruin loved it. He wanted the honey. "Let us swap our food," said Bruin. "No, I cannot do that," said Reynard. They made a game. They made a bet. Name three trees very fast. The winner gets a bite of food. A bite of pig or honey.
"Fir! Fir! Spruce!" Bruin growled. He named two trees. He named "Fir" two times. He did not name three different trees. Bruin made a mistake. Reynard shouted, "Ash! Aspen! Oak!" He named three different trees. Reynard won the game. He was very quick.
Reynard ran to the pig. He took a big bite. He took the best part of the pig. Then he ran away fast. Bruin was very angry. "Stop, fox!" he yelled. He grabbed Reynard's tail. He held Reynard very tight. "Wait, wait!" said Reynard. "Let me go, friend. I will give you honey. You can taste my sweet honey now."
Bruin let go of his tail. He wanted the honey. Reynard ran to a big bush. "Here is the honeycomb!" he said. "See this leaf?" Reynard said. "Under it is a small hole. You must suck the honey out. Very sweet honey." Reynard took off the leaf. It was not honey. It was a wasp's nest! Many wasps flew out. They stung Bruin the Bear. Bruin shouted loudly. He ran away fast. He tried to get rid of wasps. Reynard the Fox ran away.
Bruin never forgot that day. He was always scared of wasps. He did not like their sting. He was very careful now. Bruin learned greed makes you silly. Reynard showed clever is better than big!
Original Story
Pork and Honey
At dawn the other day, when Bruin came tramping over the bog with a fat pig, Reynard sat up on a stone by the moor-side.
“Good day, grandsire,” said the fox. “What’s that so nice that you have there?”
“Pork,” said Bruin.
“Well, I have got a dainty bit too,” said Reynard.
“What is that?” asked the bear.
“The biggest wild bee’s comb I ever saw in my life,” said Reynard.
“Indeed, you don’t say so,” said Bruin, who grinned and licked his lips, he thought it would be so nice to taste a little honey. At last he said: “Shall we swap our fare?”
“Nay, nay!” said Reynard, “I can’t do that.”
The end was that they made a bet, and agreed to name three trees. If the fox could say them off faster than the bear, he was to have leave to take one bite of the bacon; but if the bear could say them faster, he was to have leave to take one sup out of the comb. Greedy Bruin thought he was sure to sup out all the honey at one breath.
“Well,” said Reynard, “it’s all fair and right, no doubt, but all I say is, if I win, you shall be bound to tear off the bristles where I am to bite.”
“Of course,” said Bruin, “I’ll help you, as you can’t help yourself.”
So they were to begin and name the trees.
“Fir, Scotch Fir, Spruce,” growled out Bruin, for he was gruff in his tongue, that he was. But for all that he only named two trees, for fir and Scotch fir are both the same.
“Ash, Aspen, Oak,” screamed Reynard, so that the wood rang again.
313So he had won the wager, and down he ran and took the heart out of the pig at one bite, and was just running off with it. But Bruin was angry because Reynard had taken the best bit out of the whole pig, and so he laid hold of his tail and held him fast.
“Stop a bit, stop a bit,” he said, and was wild with rage.
“Never mind,” said the fox, “it’s all right; let me go, grandsire, and I’ll give you a taste of my honey.”
When Bruin heard that, he let go his hold, and away went Reynard after the honey.
“Here, on this honeycomb,” said Reynard, “lies a leaf, and under this leaf is a hole, and that hole you are to suck.”
As he said this he held up the comb under the bear’s nose, took off the leaf, jumped up on a stone, and began to gibber and laugh, for there was neither honey nor honeycomb, but a wasp’s nest, as big as a man’s head, full of wasps, and out swarmed the wasps and settled on Bruin’s head, and stung him in his eyes and ears, and mouth and snout. And he had such hard work to rid himself of them that he had no time to think of Reynard.
And that’s why, ever since that day, Bruin is so afraid of wasps.
Story DNA
Moral
Greed can make one foolish, and cunning can outwit strength.
Plot Summary
Reynard the fox encounters Bruin the bear carrying a pig and claims to have a large honeycomb. They make a bet: whoever names three trees faster gets a bite of the other's food. Reynard wins by correctly naming three distinct trees, while Bruin fails, and Reynard takes the best part of the pig. Enraged, Bruin catches Reynard, but the fox promises him honey. Reynard then tricks the greedy Bruin into sticking his snout into a wasp's nest, allowing Reynard to escape while Bruin is stung, forever making him afraid of wasps.
Themes
Emotional Arc
anticipation to frustration
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
The character of Reynard the Fox is a popular trickster figure in medieval European folklore, often outsmarting more powerful or foolish animals.
Plot Beats (16)
- Bruin the bear is seen carrying a fat pig.
- Reynard the fox greets Bruin and asks about his catch.
- Reynard claims to have an even daintier treat: the biggest wild bee's comb he's ever seen.
- Bruin, eager for honey, proposes they swap their fare, but Reynard refuses.
- They agree to a bet: name three trees faster to win a bite of the other's food.
- Reynard adds a condition that Bruin must tear off bristles if Reynard wins the pig bite.
- Bruin names 'Fir, Scotch Fir, Spruce,' but 'Fir' and 'Scotch Fir' are the same, so he only names two distinct trees.
- Reynard quickly names 'Ash, Aspen, Oak,' winning the wager.
- Reynard takes a large bite out of the pig's heart and tries to run off.
- Bruin, enraged, grabs Reynard's tail.
- Reynard promises to give Bruin a taste of his honey if he's released.
- Bruin lets go, and Reynard leads him to what he claims is the honeycomb.
- Reynard points to a 'leaf' covering a 'hole' in the 'honeycomb' for Bruin to suck.
- Reynard removes the leaf, revealing a large wasp's nest, and wasps swarm out, stinging Bruin.
- Bruin is overwhelmed by the wasps, allowing Reynard to escape.
- The story concludes by explaining that this is why Bruin is afraid of wasps.
Characters
Bruin
A large, powerful brown bear, likely a European brown bear given the setting. He is described as 'fat' from carrying a pig, suggesting a robust and heavy build. His fur is thick and shaggy, typical of a wild bear.
Attire: None, as he is a wild bear.
Wants: To satisfy his hunger, particularly for sweet things like honey.
Flaw: His greed and gullibility make him an easy target for Reynard's tricks.
He learns a painful lesson about trusting Reynard and about his own greed, becoming afraid of wasps.
Greedy, gruff, easily tricked, short-tempered, somewhat naive. He is driven by immediate desires like food.
Reynard
A clever and agile fox, likely a European red fox, with a lean and cunning build. His movements are quick and precise, allowing him to jump onto stones and run off swiftly.
Attire: None, as he is a wild fox.
Wants: To gain food through trickery and to amuse himself by outsmarting Bruin.
Flaw: His trickery can sometimes lead to close calls, like almost losing his tail.
He successfully outsmarts Bruin, reinforcing his reputation as a trickster and gaining a meal.
Cunning, deceitful, quick-witted, manipulative, and mischievous. He enjoys outsmarting others.
Locations
Moor-side Bog
A damp, open expanse of boggy ground, likely covered with low-lying vegetation and possibly heather, bordered by a moor. A stone sits prominently by its edge.
Mood: Quiet, isolated, slightly misty, with a sense of early morning chill
Reynard and Bruin meet and initiate their wager, with Bruin carrying a pig.
Forest Clearing
A clearing within a dense forest, where the trees are close enough for a fox's scream to echo. The ground is likely covered with forest debris like leaves and pine needles.
Mood: Tense, competitive, then triumphant for Reynard, followed by anger from Bruin.
Reynard and Bruin name trees to win their wager, and Reynard takes a bite from the pig.
Wasp Nest Location
A specific spot, likely near some vegetation or a hidden crevice, where a large wasp's nest is concealed, perhaps under a leaf or within a hollow.
Mood: Deceptive, then chaotic and painful for Bruin, triumphant for Reynard.
Reynard tricks Bruin into disturbing a wasp's nest, allowing Reynard to escape.