Weyna and Gella

Before you read the story

• What things are dangerous for children?
• How do parents protect their children from danger?

Now read the story

Once upon a time, there was a mother fox. She had two little cubs, and their names were Weyna and Gella. 

Every day, Mother Fox went out to the fields to look for food. 

"Stay in the house, children," she said to her cubs. "Don't open the door. Listen for my voice. When I come home, I will sing to you, 

"Weyna and Gella,
My children dear,
Open the door,
Your mother is here."

So every day the cubs stayed inside the house and their mother hunted for food. 

And every day, when Mother Fox came home, she called out, 

"Weyna and Gella,
My children dear,
Open the door,
Your mother is here." 

For a long time, the foxes lived happily. But one day a hyena passed the fox's house, and he heard the cubs’ voices. 

"Aha!" said the hyena. "Fat little fox cubs are very good to eat." 

The hyena hid in the bushes and waited. Soon, Mother Fox came home. 

She went to the door of her house and called out, 

"Weyna and Gella,
My children dear,
Open the door,
Your mother is here."

The fox cubs opened the door and their mother went inside. 

"Oho!" thought the hyena. "This is going to be easy." 

The next day, Mother Fox went out to hunt again. The hyena was waiting. He ran up to the door of the foxes’ house and knocked on it. 

"Who's there?" said the cubs. "Our mother isn't here. Go away." 

The hyena said, 
"Weyna and Gella,
My children dear,
Open the door,
Your mother is here."

"You're not our mother," the fox cubs said. "Your voice is hard and cruel. Our mother's voice is soft and sweet. Go away." 

The hyena ran to his house and found a pot of honey. He ate some honey and his voice became sweet. Then he went back to the foxes’ house and called out, 

"Weyna and Gella,
My children dear,
Open the door,
Your mother is here."

"That is our mother’s voice," said the fox cubs. "It's soft and sweet. We will open the door for you, Mother dear." 

So the cubs opened the door, and the hyena ran into the house and ate both of them. 

In the evening, Mother Fox came home. The door of her house was open. She ran inside. 

"Weyna and Gella!" she called. "Where are you?" 

No one answered. 

"Weyna!" she shouted. "Gella! Come to me!" 

But the cubs were not there. 

Mother Fox looked everywhere in her house. Then, in the dust by the door she saw the marks of the hyena’s feet. 

"The hyena was here!" she cried. "He has taken my cubs!" 

Mother Fox was very, very angry. 

"I'll kill the hyena," she said. 

 

The next day, she made a big hole in the ground and she put a goatskin over it. She put a pot on the fire and began to boil some water. Then she went to the hyena’s house. 

"Hyena," she said. "I’ve killed a sheep today. Come and eat it with me." 

The hyena was always hungry. 

"Yes," he said. "I'll come," and he followed Mother Fox to her house. 

"Sit there, on the goatskin," said Mother Fox. 

So the hyena sat on the goatskin and he fell down into the hole. At once, Mother Fox took the boiling water from the fire and threw it over the hyena. 

"My poor cubs," she said. "Your cruel enemy is dead at last."