The hen lived alone in a small farm. She had planted barley and wheat in it and would plant her crops and eat from them. The deceitful fox and his wife watched her from nearby. One day, the vixen said to her husband: My dear husband, don’t you see that it’s time to hunt that hen for us to eat? She has grown and become fat, and she lacks nothing but for us to eat her today at dinner and make a delicious meal and wonderful soup from her.
The fox said: Well, that’s a good idea, but how do I hunt her? Do you have a method or trick to deceive the hen so we can hunt her?
The owl, who was on the tree, heard what the two evildoers, the fox and his wicked wife the vixen, had agreed upon. She flew quickly to tell the hen about the fox’s intentions to harm her. The hen thanked her and said to her: Thank you, oh faithful owl. I must hurry and build a strong house to take shelter in from the deceitful fox.
The hen spent all day gathering wood until she finished building a strong and solid house. The vixen was thinking of a plan and trick to trap the hen so they could eat her. The vixen said: I thought of a smart trick. Take these clothes and wear them as if you’re a bread seller. Hold that bag, go to her after sunset, and tell her you’re a bread seller and that you put bread in that bag. As soon as the hen tries to extend her hand to get the bread, close the bag and catch her.
The fox was happy with that idea and wore the baker’s clothes. He waited for sunset and went to the hen’s house. There, he knocked on the door, and the hen opened it. He said: Peace be upon you, oh hen. I am the bread seller, and I have many fresh delicious pieces of bread if you want.
The hen agreed and extended her hand toward the bag that the fox was holding, claiming bread was inside it. The fox caught her, put her inside the bag, closed it, and carried it on his back. He set off on his way to return to his wife.
Meanwhile, the hen was boiling water in the large pot to prepare to cook the poor hen upon her husband’s return with her. The fox kept walking for a long time until he felt tired. He said to himself: I’m tired from the long walk, and the bag is heavy and hurts my hand. I’ll sit to rest a little.
The fox went to sleep, leaving the bag beside him. The hen opened the bag with her beak and claws, came out of the bag, brought a large stone, put it inside the bag, and closed it as it was. She escaped to return to her home before the fox woke up.
After a little while, the fox woke up and had rested a little. He decided to carry his bag and complete the walk to return to his wife quickly before darkness fell. The fox carried the bag and completed the walk until he reached his wife.
His wife received him with extreme joy when she saw the fox carrying the bag on his back. She knew he had managed to hunt the hen and that her smart trick had succeeded. The vixen said: Well done, my husband. I prepared a pot of boiling water, and the food will be ready in a few minutes.
The vixen grabbed the bag and emptied it into the pot. The heavy stone fell into the pot, while she thought it was the hen. The boiling water came out of the pot and burned her skin and the fox’s skin. Thus was the punishment of anyone who wanted to harm others. This harm must return to them.