Once there lived an old man and an old woman, and they were very, very poor. Their cupboard was almost bare. One morning the old woman clapped her hands. “Husband,” she said, “make me a little ox out of straw, and smear it all over with sticky black tar!”

So the old man twisted and tied the straw into a fine little ox, and smeared it all over with shiny black tar. Each day the old woman led it out to the meadow, and while it stood still in the warm sun, she sat nearby and spun her flax.

One day a big brown bear came lumbering out of the forest. He spied the little ox and rumbled, “What lovely tar — just right for mending my shaggy coat!” He pressed his paw against the ox — and oh! He stuck fast and could not pull free.

Soon a lean grey wolf came trotting through the grass. “My, what shiny tar!” he said, and he reached out a paw to touch it. Snap — the wolf was stuck too! He pulled and he tugged, but the tar held him tight.

Next a sleek red fox crept up, sniffing. She could not resist that gleaming tar and pressed it with her nose — and stuck fast! Even a little hare who hopped by got himself caught. There they all hung from the little straw ox, wriggling and squirming.

Home came the old woman, and how she stared! She called her husband, who gently tied the animals up. Trembling, they begged, “Please, kind people, let us go! We will each bring you a wonderful gift!”

Now the old man and woman had kind hearts. “Very well,” they said, and set each animal loose. The bear promised sweet honey, the wolf a flock of sheep, the fox plump hens, and the little hare a basket of crisp vegetables. Away they all scampered into the trees.

At dawn the next day came a soft thump-thump at the door. There stood the bear, hugging a great pot of golden honey! Close behind, the grey wolf drove a soft, woolly flock of sheep right up to the gate.

Then the fox arrived with a parade of clucking hens and honking geese, and the little hare came hopping with a basket piled high with carrots, cabbages, and ruby-red beets. The old woman clapped her hands and laughed for joy.

From that day on, the old couple were never hungry again. They had a warm house, a full table, and the merriest tale in all the village to tell. And the clever little straw ox? It stood proudly in the sun, until one warm afternoon it softly, gently crumbled away.