A Wolf ran out of the forest into a village—not to pay a visit, but to save its life; for it trembled for its skin.
 
The huntsmen and a pack of hounds were after it. It would fain have rushed in through the first gateway; but there was this unfortunate circumstance against the scheme that all the gateways were closed.
 
The Wolf sees a Cat on a partition fence, and says pleadingly, "Vaska, my friend, tell me quickly, which of the moujiks here is the kindest, so that I may hide myself from my evil foes? Listen to the cry of the dogs and the terrible sound of the horns? All that noise is actually made in chase of me!"
 
"Go quickly, and ask Stefan," says Vaska, the Cat; "he is a very kind man."
 
"Quite true; only I have torn the skin off one of his sheep."
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