12. A ‘Pious’ Fox

There was a cunning fox called Mām Telona, ‘Uncle Fox’. One year there was famine in the land and many of the animals died. As a result, the fox could not find animals to prey on and he went hungry. He grew his beard and sought atonement from God by praying with a rosary and setting off on a holy pilgrimage. He met a rooster, who at first did not believe his sincerity, but subsequently joined him on the pilgrimage. They met a sparrow, who did not trust the fox, but eventually joined them. They spent the night in a house and the fox said that he needed to rest and that he would eat anybody who made a sound. At dawn the rooster crowed and the fox seized him. The sparrow, however, escaped.