The Mythology & Folklore Database
A bear and a fox had once bought between them a tub of butter, which they intended to keep till Christmas, and, therefore, hid it under a thick pine bush. They then went a little distance and lay down on a sunny bank to sleep.
When they had lain some time, the fox started up and cried out, "Yes," and ran away towards the butter tub, out of which he ate a good third. When he returned the bear asked him where he had been, as he looked so greasy about the mouth.
He said, "What do you think of my being invited to a christening?"
"Oh, indeed! What is the name of the child?" asked the bear.
"Begun Upon," answered the fox.
Thereupon they lay down to sleep again. In a little while the fox sprang up again and cried out, "Yes," and ran to the butter tub. This time he also ate a good portion. When he came back, and the bear again asked where he had been, he answered, "Oh, would you believe it? I have again been invited to a christening."
"What is the name of the child?" asked the bear.
"Half Eaten," answered the fox.
The bear thought that was a strange name, though he did not wonder long about it, but gave a gape and went to sleep again. They had not lain long when the same took place as before. The fox sprang up and cried out, "Yes," and ran to the butter tub, and this time he ate the remainder. When he came back, he had been once more to a christening, and when the bear inquired the name of the child, he answered, "Licked to the Bottom!"
They now lay down and slept a long time.
At length they agreed to go and look after their butter, and when they found it all eaten up, the bear accused the fox, and the fox accused the bear, of having eaten it. One said that the other must have been to the butter tub while he slept.
"Well, well!" said Reynard. "We shall soon see which of us two has stolen the butter. Let us both now lie down on this sunny bank, and the one whose tail is the greasiest when we wake, must be the one who has stolen it."
The bear was willing to undergo the ordeal. So, feeling conscious of his innocence, and that he had not even tasted the butter, he lay down to have a good sound sleep in the sun. But Reynard, instead of sleeping, crept softly to the butter tub, and got a little that still remained between the staves. Then sneaking gently back to the bear, he rubbed his tail with it, and lay down to sleep as if nothing had happened. When they both woke, the sun had melted the butter on the bear's tail, so that he was proved to be the one that had eaten the butter.