Well Done: Ill Paid
by Unknown · from Tales of Laughter: A third fairy book
Adapted Version
Once upon a time, Farmer Ben got wood. He drove his big horse. Big Bear met him there. Big Bear wanted his horse. Ben felt very sad. He worried about his sheep.
Ben said, "I need wood for home." Ben said, "Horse comes tomorrow." Big Bear said, "Okay, you can go." He said, "Come back tomorrow!" Ben was not happy.
Ben drove his sledge home. He felt very sad. Sly Fox met him then. Sly Fox was clever. "I can help you," said Sly Fox. He wanted a yummy sheep.
Ben said, "Yes, I promise!" Sly Fox made a plan. "A Big Hunter comes," he said. Ben must say, "He is here!" Big Hunter tells Ben.
Next day, Ben met Big Bear. Sly Fox hid in stones. He made loud noises. Big Bear heard the sounds. He asked, "What is that?" Ben said, "It is Big Hunter!"
A loud voice spoke then. It was Sly Fox. "Did you see a bear?" it asked. Big Bear felt scared. It asked, "What is that big brown thing?"
Big Bear whispered, "Say no!" Ben said, "No, I did not." Big Bear said, "Say I am a thing!" Ben said, "It is a big brown thing." Big Bear was very scared.
The voice said, "Put it on the sledge!" Big Bear said, "Help me, Ben!" Ben put Big Bear on. The voice said, "Tie it very tight! I will come later for it." Big Bear said, "Tie me, Ben!"
Ben tied Big Bear with ropes. Big Bear was very scared. He struggled very hard. Big Bear broke free then. He ran away fast. He did not come back.
Sly Fox came out now. Ben was very happy. He thanked Sly Fox very much. Sly Fox said, "My yummy sheep now!" He wanted his promised sheep.
Ben went home to his wife. He told her about Sly Fox. His wife said, "No, Ben!" She said, "Foxes are tricky." She said, "We need that sheep!"
Ben listened to his wife. Sly Fox came for his sheep. Ben waved his arms then. He said, "Go away, Sly Fox!" He said, "No sheep for you!"
Sly Fox was very sad. He was very surprised. He ran away fast. He thought, "Ben did not keep his word." He thought, "That is not kind."
Original Story
Well Done: Ill Paid
Once upon a time there was a man who had to drive his sledge to the wood for fuel, and a bear met him on the way.
“Hand over your horse,” growled the bear, “or I’ll kill all your sheep by summer.”
“Oh, Heaven help me!” said the man. “There’s not a stick of firewood in the house; you must let me drive home a load of fuel, else we shall be frozen to death. I’ll bring the horse to you to-morrow morning.”
Yes; on these terms he might drive the wood home, that was a bargain; but Bruin said, if he didn’t come back, he should lose all his sheep by summer.
So the man got the wood on the sledge and rattled homeward, but he wasn’t over-pleased with his bargain, you may fancy.
So just then a fox met him. “Why, what’s the matter?” said the fox. “Why are you so down in the mouth?”
“Oh, if you want to know,” said the man, “I met a bear up yonder in the wood, and I had to give my word to him to bring Dobbin back to-morrow, at this very hour; for if he didn’t get him, he said he would tear all my sheep to death by summer.”
“Stuff! Nothing worse than that?” said the fox. “If you’ll give me your fattest wether I’ll soon set you free; see if I don’t.”
Yes, the man gave his word, and swore he would keep it true.
“Well, when you come with Dobbin, to-morrow, for the bear,” said the fox, “I’ll make a clatter up in the heap of stones yonder, and so, when the bear asks what that noise 285is, you must say it is Peter the Marksman, who is the best shot in the world. And after that you must help yourself.”
Now, next day, off set the man, and when he met the bear something began to make a clatter up in the heap of stones.
“Hist, hist! what’s that?” said the bear.
“Oh, that’s Peter the Marksman, to be sure,” said the man. “He’s the best shot in the world; I know him by his voice.”
“Have you seen any bear about here, Eric?” shouted out a voice in the wood.
“Say no,” said the bear.
“No, I haven’t seen any,” said Eric.
“What’s that, then, that stands alongside your sledge?” bawled out the voice in the wood.
“Say it’s an old fir-stump,” said the bear.
“Oh, it’s only an old fir-stump,” said the man.
“Such fir-stumps we take in our country and roll them on our sledges,” bawled out the voice. “If you can’t do it yourself, I’ll come and help you.”
“Say you can help yourself, and roll me up on the sledge,” said the bear.
“No, thank ye, I can help myself well enough,” said the man, and rolled the bear on the sledge.
“Such fir-stumps we always bind fast on our sledges in our part of the world,” bawled out the voice. “Shall I come and help you?”
“Say you can help yourself, and bind me fast, do,” said the bear.
“No, thanks, I can help myself well enough,” said the man, who set to binding Bruin fast with all the ropes he had, so that at last the bear couldn’t stir a paw.
“Such fir-stumps we always drive our ax into, in our part of the world,” bawled out the voice, “for then we guide them better going down steep pitches.”
“Pretend to drive the ax into me, do now,” said the bear.
Then the man took up his ax, and at one blow split the bear’s skull, so that Bruin lay dead in a trice; and so the man and the fox were great friends, and on the best of terms.
286But when they came near the farm, the fox said: “I’ve no mind to go right home with you, for I can’t say I like your dogs; so I’ll just wait here, and you can bring the wether to me; but mind you pick out one nice and fat.”
Yes, the man would be sure to do that, and thanked the fox much for his help. So when he had put the horse into the stable he went across to the sheep-pen.
“Where are you going?” asked his wife.
“Oh, I am only going over to the sheep-pen to fetch a fat ram for that good fox who saved our horse,” said the man, “as I have promised him one.”
“Why on earth give that thief of a fox any ram?” said the woman. “We have got the horse quite safe and the bear besides, and the fox has stolen more geese from us than the ram is worth; or, if he hasn’t already taken them, he is sure to do so some time. No, take the most savage pair of those dogs of yours and let them loose on him, then perhaps we’ll get rid of that thieving old rascal,” said the woman.
The man thought this was sensible advice and took two of his savage red dogs, put them in a bag and set out with them.
“Have you got the ram?” said the fox.
“Yes, come and fetch it,” said the man, undoing the string round the bag and setting the dogs at the fox.
“Ugh!” said the fox, bounding away, “the old saying: ‘Well done: ill paid,’ is only too true; and now I find it is also true that one’s relations are one’s worst enemies,” and he panted as he saw the red dogs at his heels.
Story DNA
Moral
Good deeds are often repaid with ingratitude, and sometimes those you help can become your worst enemies.
Plot Summary
A man, threatened by a bear for his horse, promises to deliver it the next day. A cunning fox offers to save the horse in exchange for a fat wether. The fox orchestrates a trick where he impersonates a fearsome hunter, convincing the gullible bear to be tied to the man's sledge and then killed. After the bear is dead, the man's wife persuades him not to pay the fox. Instead, the man releases savage dogs on the fox, who barely escapes, lamenting the ingratitude and betrayal he experienced.
Themes
Emotional Arc
fear to relief to betrayal
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Reflects a common folk tale trope of humans interacting with talking animals, often involving bargains and trickery. The 'ill paid' moral is a recurring theme in many cultures.
Plot Beats (13)
- A man driving a sledge meets a bear who demands his horse, threatening his sheep.
- The man bargains for one more day to deliver firewood, promising to return the horse.
- The man, distressed, encounters a fox who offers to save his horse for a fat wether.
- The fox instructs the man to pretend a 'Peter the Marksman' is nearby, and to follow the 'Marksman's' instructions to the bear.
- The next day, the man and bear meet, and the fox makes noises from a stone heap, impersonating 'Peter the Marksman'.
- The 'Marksman' questions the man about bears and the 'fir-stump' on his sledge.
- The bear, fearing the 'Marksman', tells the man to deny seeing a bear and to say he is a fir-stump.
- The 'Marksman' then instructs the man to roll the 'fir-stump' onto the sledge, then bind it fast, and finally drive an ax into it.
- The man follows all instructions, tying the bear to the sledge and then killing it with an ax.
- The man and fox are friends, and the fox asks the man to bring the wether to him outside the farm.
- The man's wife convinces him not to give the fox the wether, arguing the fox is a thief and they owe him nothing.
- The man, swayed by his wife, puts two savage dogs in a bag and releases them on the fox instead of the wether.
- The fox escapes, lamenting the ingratitude of the man and the truth of the saying 'Well done: ill paid'.
Characters
The Man
A sturdy, practical man, likely of average height and build, accustomed to physical labor in a cold climate. His hands would be calloused from working with wood and animals. His face would show signs of worry and the harshness of outdoor life.
Attire: Warm, practical clothing suitable for a Scandinavian winter. Likely a thick wool tunic or jacket, sturdy trousers, and heavy boots. A fur-lined cap or hood would be essential for warmth. Colors would be muted, natural tones like browns, greys, and dark blues.
Wants: To protect his family and livelihood (horse, sheep, firewood) from threats, and to survive the harsh winter.
Flaw: His susceptibility to bad advice and his lack of loyalty/gratitude, leading him to betray those who help him.
Starts as a desperate man, is saved by the fox's cunning, but ultimately succumbs to his wife's bad advice and betrays his rescuer, learning nothing about gratitude.
Resourceful, initially fearful, somewhat naive, easily swayed by others' advice (both good and bad), grateful for help but ultimately ungrateful and treacherous.
The Bear (Bruin)
A large, powerful brown bear, with thick, shaggy fur. Its size would be imposing, suggesting immense strength and a formidable presence. Its claws would be long and sharp, and its teeth prominent.
Attire: None, as it is a wild animal.
Wants: To secure food or resources (the horse) and assert dominance over its territory.
Flaw: Its gullibility and fear of 'Peter the Marksman', which allows it to be easily manipulated.
Starts as a powerful threat, is outsmarted and humiliated, and ultimately killed.
Aggressive, demanding, easily tricked, somewhat naive despite its physical power, prone to making threats.
The Fox
A sleek, cunning red fox, agile and quick. Its fur would be vibrant and well-kept, indicative of its cleverness and ability to survive.
Attire: None, as it is a wild animal.
Wants: To gain a reward (the fattest wether) by using its wits, and to survive.
Flaw: Its trust in the man's promise, which leads to its near-capture.
Acts as the clever rescuer, successfully outsmarting the bear, but is betrayed by the man and learns a bitter lesson about human ingratitude.
Cunning, intelligent, opportunistic, resourceful, observant, and ultimately cynical about human gratitude.
The Man's Wife
A practical, no-nonsense woman, likely of similar build to her husband, accustomed to the hard work of a farm. Her features would be strong and determined.
Attire: Simple, sturdy peasant clothing suitable for a cold climate. A long, dark wool skirt, a linen blouse, and a practical apron. Perhaps a knitted shawl for warmth. Colors would be muted and functional.
Wants: To protect her family's assets and eliminate perceived threats, even if it means betraying a benefactor.
Flaw: Her lack of gratitude and her willingness to resort to treachery.
Appears briefly to give bad advice, reinforcing the theme of ingratitude.
Shrewd, pragmatic, ungrateful, distrustful of wild animals (especially foxes), and somewhat ruthless in her advice.
Locations
Winter Forest Road
A snow-covered track leading through a dense, cold forest, likely with pine or fir trees. The ground is hard and frozen, suitable for a sledge.
Mood: Chilling, desolate, tense, dangerous
The man first encounters the bear and makes a deal; later, the man and fox trick the bear here.
Farmyard and Sheep-pen
A typical Nordic farmyard, likely with a stable and a separate enclosure for sheep. The ground would be a mix of packed earth and possibly some snow or mud, depending on the exact winter conditions.
Mood: Domestic, familiar, initially safe, then treacherous
The man returns home, discusses the fox's reward with his wife, and then attempts to betray the fox.