HOW SLAULABURS SAVED THE FAMILY
Once upon a time, in the forest, there was a cave; and inside lived some foxes. Father Fox and his family ate nothing butbones from other wild animals. One day Father Fox decided to taste some otherfood, and brought some to the children when he came back from his journey.
He took a blanket and packed anything heneeded, and then he slung it on his back and started on his journey. Before heset out, he told his oldest son named Slaulaburs to take care of the familywhile he was gone. Since Father Fox could trust Slaulaburs, he left the rest ofhis family in peace.
Slaulaburs guarded the door, and made surethat the young ones did not come out. If he saw wild animals then he would usethe sharp stick he had found with his father when they were hunting in thewoods, and stroke him hard with it. Slaulaburs was guarding the door so well,that he did not notice that in the back of the cave; there was a hole in whichthe young ones could crawl out. Then Slaulaburs said, “Hey, you’ll be safe inhere.” But no answer came; Slaulaburs looked behind him and saw an empty cavewith only he inside; he was so surprised that he opened his eyes wide.
Slaulaburs didn’t understand, “I have beenguarding the door all day! How could they have gone out?” suddenly he realizedthe hole, “Oh! So that is why they’ve disappeared, they crawled out of the hole!Well I’ve got to find them fast; or father would be really angry with me.” ThenSlaulaburs went outside. When he was outside, he saw a black bear guarding atree, “Why is that black bear guarding the tree?” just then he realized that itwas almost lunch time, “Oh! So he is guarding the tree because that up on topthere must be food! But what sort of food is it?”
Slaulaburs looked up and saw the young onesclimbing trees. “The black bear wants to eat the cubs. I have an idea.” ThenSlaulaburs went back to cave, and made a small fox cub voice. The black beardid not hear it. Slaulaburs thought and thought, “What could I use to make thesound louder or to make my voice louder for the black bear to hear me?”
Slaulaburs thought and thought, and then heheard men’s footsteps. Then he saw somebody use a leaf which they curled it upto form a party hat shape. Then he saw the men used it to speak loud. “Thatmust make the animals sound bigger or louder, I’ve got to have it!” and soSlaulaburs ran to a bush, where he got a big piece of leaf; then he curled itup and ran to the cave and started to make a small fox cub voice.
When he had finished making the sound, he sawthe black bear coming toward him, “I shall soon have my lunch in having a foxcub and I will share it with my best family ever.” Then black bear ran towardthe cave, and then Slaulaburs crept out from the hole and ran to the tree. Thefox cubs fell down and he caught them all; before the black bear could catch upwith Slaulaburs, he had already fallen down Slaulaburs’s friend rabbit’s hole.The black bear couldn’t fall down and so he went back to his cave without anyfood to bring back to his family.
Then Slaulaburs jumped out the hole with thecubs under his arms, and returned home. Just at that moment Father Fox cameback and saw the little ones safe and found; “Slaulaburs! You did a great job!”then he shared the food he found with his family. And they all lived happilyever after.