The Wedding of Mrs Fox: Second Story

When old Mr Fox was truly dead, a wolf came to court Mrs Fox. He knocked at the door, where the cat who served the household greeted him. She was breaking sweet bread into milk and offered him a meal, but he wanted to know whether Mrs Fox was at home.

The cat explained that her mistress was upstairs mourning. The wolf asked her to carry a message: if Mrs Fox wanted a husband, would she come down and meet him?

Mrs Fox asked whether the visitor had red stockings and a little pointed mouth. The cat said he did not, and Mrs Fox refused him.

After the wolf came a dog, a stag, a hare, a bear, a lion and other forest animals. Each lacked something she wanted, and each was sent away. At last a young fox arrived. This time the cat could report both red stockings and a little pointed mouth, so Mrs Fox invited him upstairs and ordered a wedding feast.

She told the cat to sweep the room, open the window and throw the old fox out. Her speech gave a reason for her lack of tenderness: whenever he caught a fine fat mouse, he ate it himself and never thought of sharing with his wife.

The wedding was held with much rejoicing and dancing—and if they have not stopped, they are dancing still.

Where this story comes from

This short animal tale is German, from the Brothers Grimm, and not an Indian story. It is the second of two linked tales about Mrs Fox’s suitors; in Margaret Hunt’s 1884 translation the pair is number 38, “The Wedding of Mrs. Fox” (in German, Die Hochzeit der Frau Füchsin). The Project Gutenberg text used here is based on the English versions of Edgar Taylor and Marian Edwardes.

In the cited English text, Mrs Fox asks about red stockings and a pointed mouth. Her final speech complains that her late husband never shared his catch. These details make appearance and household generosity separate questions in this version.

Read the original: Grimms’ Fairy Tales, tr. Edgar Taylor and Marian Edwardes (Project Gutenberg #2591, The Wedding of Mrs Fox: Second Story)

Reading guidance: a short comic tale about bereavement and remarriage, with a harsh joke about throwing the dead husband’s body out. Adults may wish to discuss that ending with younger readers.

A familiar appearance, a different household?

Mrs Fox seeks someone who looks like a fox, but her final complaint introduces another criterion: whether a husband shares. The appearance test is explicit; whether the new husband will be more considerate remains unanswered. The dancing ending promises celebration without showing the marriage afterward.

Compare this story with the first Mrs Fox tale. Make two lists: what she asks the cat to observe and what the narrator tells us about the old husband. Which information changes your understanding of her eagerness to remarry?

Talk about it

• Why do you think Mrs Fox sent so many suitors away?
• How does the cat help Mrs Fox decide who to marry?
• The story ends, “if they have not left off, they are dancing still.” What does that ending tell you about the wedding?

Related stories

• The Wedding of Mrs Fox: First Story — the first Mrs Fox tale, where old Mr Fox only pretends to be dead
• Cat and Mouse in Partnership — another short Grimm animal tale about a cat who keeps house
• Old Sultan — a Grimm tale of a faithful dog, a scheming wolf and a cat