It was the time of year when Hatho,
the Spirit of Frost, had swept across
the land, covering the lakes with ice
and pounding on the trees with his big
hammer. Fox made a hole in the ice,
right near a place where Bear liked
to walk. By the time Bear came by, all
around Fox, in a big circle, were big
trout and fat perch. Just as Bear was
about to ask Fox what he was doing,
Fox twitched his tail which he had
sticking through that hole in the
ice and pulled out a huge trout.

"Greetings, Brother," said Fox. "How
are you this fine day?"

"Greetings," answered Bear, looking
at the big circle of fat fish. " I am
well, Brother. But what are you doing?"

"I am fishing," answered Fox. "Would
you like to try?"

"Oh, yes," said Bear, as he started
to lumber over to Fox's fishing hole.

But Fox stopped him. "Wait, Brother,"
he said, "This place will not be good.
As you can see, I have already caught
all the fish. Let us make you a new
fishing spot where you can catch many
big trout."

Bear agreed and so he followed Fox to
the new place, a place where, as Fox
knew very well, the lake was too
shallow to catch the winter fish--
which always stay in the deepest water
when Hatho has covered their ponds.

Bear watched as Fox made the hole in
the ice, already tasting the fine fish
he would soon catch. "Now," Fox said,
"you must do just as I tell you. Clear
your mind of all thoughts of fish. Do
not even think of a song or the fish
will hear you. Turn your back to the
hole and place your tail inside it.
Soon a fish will come and grab your
tail and you can pull him out."

"But how will I know if a fish has
grabbed my tail if my back is
turned?" asked Bear.

"I will hide over here where the
fish cannot see me," said Fox.
"When a fish grabs your tail, I will
shout. Then you must pull as hard as
you can to catch your fish. But you
must be very patient. Do not move at
all until I tell you."

Bear nodded, "I will do exactly as
you say." He sat down next to the hole,
placed his long beautiful black tail
in the icy water and turned his back.

Fox watched for a time to make sure
that Bear was doing as he was told
and then, very quietly, sneaked back
to his own house and went to bed.

The next morning he woke up and thought
of Bear. "I wonder if he is still
there," Fox said to himself. "I'll just
go and check."

So Fox went back to the ice covered
pond and what do you think he saw? He
saw what looked like a little white
hill in the middle of the ice. It had
snowed during the night and covered
Bear, who had fallen asleep while
waiting for Fox to tell him to pull
his tail and catch a fish. And Bear
was snoring. His snores were so loud
that the ice was shaking. It was so
funny that Fox rolled with laughter.
But when he was through laughing, he
decided the time had come to wake up
poor Bear. He crept very close to
Bear's ear, took a deep breath, and
then shouted: "Now, Bear!!!"

Bear woke up with a start and pulled
his long tail hard as he could. But
his tail had been caught in the ice
which had frozen over during the
night and as he pulled, it broke off
-- Whack! -- just like that.

Bear turned around to look at the
fish he had caught and instead saw
his long lovely tail caught in the ice.

"Ohhh," he moaned, "ohhh, Fox. I will
get you for this." But Fox, even
though he was laughing fit to kill
was still faster than Bear and he
leaped aside and was gone.