The Wedding of Mrs. Fox
Introduction
'The Wedding of Mrs. Fox' (folklorists number it ATU 65) is a light animal comedy among the Grimm tales, made to be read aloud—even sung. The maid, Miss Cat, going 'trip, trap' up the stairs and 'tap, tap, tap' at the door, and the back-and-forth dialogue, are really a rhyming nursery chant. Interestingly, the Grimms gathered two versions of the story together: in the first half old Mr. Fox plays dead to test his wife, and just as a parade of suitor-foxes—each with one more tail than the last—is about to see a wedding, he springs up and drives them all out; in the second half old Mr. Fox truly dies, and Mrs. Fox, choosing fussily, will have no husband but one with red stockings and a pointed mouth, exactly like the old gentleman. That insistence on finding an exact copy is itself a gentle joke; and the little twist at the end—that old Mr. Fox was in fact selfish, eating every fat mouse he caught and never thinking of his wife—adds a wry sting to the match. For young Chinese readers there is a happy coincidence too: the 'old fox with nine tails' at the start instantly recalls the nine-tailed fox of Chinese myth—same nine tails, yet East and West imagine it quite differently. There is even counting fun hidden here, as the suitors' tails climb from one to nine. As you read, make Miss Cat's lines quick and playful, and see if your child laughs along.
Vocabulary from "The Wedding of Mrs. Fox"
12 key words from this story with definitions and original context sentences for language learners.
Loyal and true to someone.
忠诚的；忠实的。
There was once on a time an old fox with nine tails, who believed that his wife was not faithful to him.
从前有一只长着九条尾巴的老狐狸，他怀疑自己的妻子对他不忠。
An arm or a leg (of a person or animal).
肢；四肢（胳膊或腿）。
He stretched himself out under the bench, did not move a limb, and behaved as if he were stone dead.
他舒展身子躺在长凳下面，一动不动，装出像石头一样死掉的样子。
To try to win someone's love, especially hoping to marry them.
求爱；向……求婚；追求。
Do just tell her, miss, that a young fox is here, who would like to woo her.
请告诉她，小姐，有一只年轻狐狸在这里，想向她求婚。
A low sound of sadness or pain.
呻吟；哀叹（低沉的悲伤声）。
She sits all alone, and makes her moan, weeping her little eyes quite red, because old Mr. Fox is dead.
她独自坐着，悲痛哀悼，哭得双眼通红，因为老狐狸先生死掉了。
A woman whose husband has died.
寡妇；遗孀。
When the widow heard that, she said joyfully to the cat, "Now open the gates and doors all wide."
当寡妇听到这个消息时，开心地对猫说：'现在把大门和所有的窗户都打开。'
A noisy, disorderly crowd.
乌合之众；一群闹哄哄的人。
Old Mr. Fox stirred under the bench, and cudgelled all the rabble, and drove them and Mrs. Fox out of the house.
老狐狸在长凳下动了，他抓起棍子痛打那群乌合之众，把他们和狐狸太太全都赶出了家门。
Expressing great sorrow about something; lamenting.
悲叹；哀悼；为……而痛哭。
She sits upstairs in her room, bewailing her sorrowful doom, bewailing her trouble so sore, for old Mr. Fox is no more.
她在楼上房间里坐着，哀叹她忧伤的命运，哀悼她沉痛的烦恼，因为老狐狸先生已经不在了。
An adult male deer.
雄鹿；牡鹿。
When the wolf was gone, came a dog, a stag, a hare, a bear, a lion, and all the beasts of the forest, one after the other.
狼走后，狗、鹿、野兔、熊、狮子以及森林里所有的野兽都一个接一个地来了。
Close-fitting coverings for the feet and legs.
长袜；长筒袜。
Mrs. Fox asked, "Has the gentleman red stockings on, and has he a pointed mouth?"
狐狸太太问：'那位先生穿红袜子吗？他有尖尖的嘴巴吗？'
Great happiness and celebration.
欢庆；喜悦；欢欣鼓舞。
Then the wedding was solemnized with young Mr. Fox, and there was much rejoicing and dancing.
随后，狐狸太太与年轻的狐狸先生举行了婚礼，大家欢欣鼓舞，载歌载舞。
Missing; not there when it is needed.
缺少的；欠缺的。
But one of the good points which old Mr. Fox had possessed, was always lacking, and the cat had continually to send the wooers away.
但老狐狸身上拥有的优点，他们总是缺少那么一点，猫不得不不断地打发走这些求婚者。
Having a sharp, narrow end.
尖的；尖尖的。
Then Mrs. Fox said, "Has the gentleman red stockings on, and has he a little pointed mouth?"
狐狸太太问：'那位先生穿红袜子吗？他有一张尖尖的小嘴吗？'
Reading Together & Learning More
The Moral
Whether someone treats you well shows in their deeds, not their looks; and insisting on an exact copy of the 'old model' does not always find the one who truly fits.
Educational Value
A cheerful, rhyming animal tale, perfect for reading aloud to build a feel for language and rhythm; the growing number of suitors' tails invites counting with young children, and the ending twist helps them tell appearance from true worth.
Tips for Parents
Read the cat's stair-climbing and door-knocking sounds quickly and playfully—children love it; count the suitors' tails together, then talk about judging someone by what they do.
Talk About It
- Old Mr. Fox begins by playing dead to test his wife. Do you think testing someone by tricking them is a good idea?
- Mrs. Fox insists on a new husband exactly like the old one—nine tails, red stockings, a pointed mouth. Do you think that is a good way to choose?
- Only at the end do we learn old Mr. Fox was selfish, eating every mouse himself. Knowing that, do you still feel sorry that he was driven out?
- Each suitor has one more tail than the last. If you were Mrs. Fox, what would you use to choose?
- This story reads like a rhyming song. What other stories or rhymes do you know that are fun to say out loud?
