The Wonderful Musician

Once, there was a talented musician who walked alone and unhappy through a forest, pondering on various thoughts, when he had exhausted all his thoughts, he realized that time was dragging on slowly for him in the forest. He then decided to find a pleasant companion to keep him company. Afterwards, he removed his fiddle from his backpack and played it with such skill that the sound reverberated throughout the forest. Before long, a wolf emerged from the bushes and made its way towards him. The musician remarked, "Oh, a wolf is approaching. I have no interest in his company." However, as the wolf approached, it said to the musician, "Oh dear musician, how beautifully you play." The wolf expressed a desire to learn the skill of playing the fiddle, to which the musician responded, "It can be easily learned. All you have to do is follow my instructions. "O musician," said the wolf, "I will follow your instructions like a student follows his teacher." The musician instructed the wolf to follow him, and as they walked together for some time, they arrived at an old oak tree that had a hollow trunk and was split in the middle. The musician showed the wolf a crevice in the tree and instructed him to place his front paws inside it if he wished to learn how to play the fiddle. The wolf followed the musician's instructions, but as soon as he did so, the musician struck his paws with a stone and trapped him in the tree. The wolf was immobilized and unable to move. The musician then left, saying, "Wait here until I come back."

Some time passed, and the musician grew bored once more, thinking to himself, "Time is dragging on slowly for me in this forest. I should find another companion." He took his fiddle and played it once again in the forest. Soon after, a fox appeared and approached the musician stealthily through the trees. The musician saw the fox coming and remarked, "Oh, a fox is approaching. I have no interest in his company." However, as the fox drew near, it said to the musician, "Oh dear musician, how beautifully you play. I would love to learn to play like that too." The musician replied, "It can be easily learned. All you have to do is follow my instructions." The fox responded, "Oh musician, I will follow your instructions like a student follows his teacher." The musician instructed the fox to follow him, and as they walked together for some time, they arrived at a footpath that was flanked by high bushes on both sides. At this point, the musician stopped and from one side, he bent a young hazel bush down to the ground and placed his foot on the end of it. Afterwards, he bent down a young tree from the other side as well. He then said, "Now little fox, if you want to learn something, give me your left front paw." The fox followed his instructions, and the musician tied its paw to the left branch of the tree. The musician then said to the little fox, "Now, give me your right paw." He tied the right paw to the right branch of the tree after making sure that the knots were secure. When he was done, he let go and the bushes sprang up again, lifting the little fox into the air where it struggled to free itself. The musician then said, "Wait there until I come back again" and continued on his way.

Once again, the musician thought to himself, "Time is starting to drag on here in the forest. I should bring another companion." He then took out his fiddle and played a tune, the sound echoing through the forest. Soon enough, a little hare came bounding towards him. "Ah, a hare is coming," said the musician. "I don't want him." "Ah, dear musician," said the hare. "How beautifully you play the fiddle! I too would like to learn that." "That's easy to learn," said the musician. "You just have to do everything I tell you." "Oh, musician," replied the little hare, "I will obey you like a student obeys their teacher." They walked together for a while until they reached an open space in the forest where an aspen tree stood. The musician tied a long string around the neck of the little hare and fastened the other end to the tree. "Now, little hare," he commanded, "run around the tree twenty times." The little hare obeyed, and as it ran, the string wrapped around the trunk of the tree, trapping the hare. Despite the hare's struggles, the string cut into its tender neck. "Wait there until I come back," said the musician, and continued on his way.