Long ago, there was a very rich miller. The miller was so rich that during his marriage, not only did he invite his friends, he even invited the wild animals in the forest near his house.
On the day of the wedding, the Bear got up early, brushed his hair. It looked smart and handsome and his fur glistened. Then as it would take a long time to travel, it set off early to the miller’s place.
On the way the Bear met a little boy.
“Where are you going, Bear?” The boy was curious.
“To the miller’s wedding.” The Bear said proudly. “I do not like weddings. But I was invited, so I am just being polite.”
The boy worriedly shook his head. “Do not go Bear.” The boy waved towards the direction of the miller’s house. “If the humans see your skin, they will kill you for it. Do not go there.”
The Bear stopped still for a few seconds. The boy’s words made sense, but the Bear did not want to admit it openly.
But the Bear slowed down and let the boy walk ahead.
After that, the boy paid no further heed to the Bear and walked on. After the boy had completely walked to the end of the road and could not be seen, the Bear turned around and walked back home. The Bear had decided not to go to the wedding.
The boy met the wolf and fox next.
Both the wolf and the fox were going to the Miller’s wedding and when the boy asked them not to go because according to the boy, the humans may want the lovely fur of both the animals
The animals listened to the boy. Both the animals did not go to the wedding.
The boy then met a horse. The horse was proud and majestic and trotted through the forest, in great hurry.
“Are you also going to the miller’s wedding?” The boy asked the horse.
The horse did not even have the time to nod. “I am in a hurry. I am so beautiful and majestic looking. I want to meet the people at the wedding and show them how fast I can run.”
The boy smirked and shook his head. “Do not go, horse.”
The horse was shocked.
“If you go there, the humans would bind you with ropes. You will never be able to run through the forest of your own free will. Once they know how fast you are, they will never let you go.”
The horse snorted. “You lie, boy.” The animal told the boy. “The humans will do no such thing. Besides, I am strong enough to break any rope.”
The horse did not listen to the boy’s instruction and went to the miller’s wedding.
Similarly the boy also met the cow. The boy tried to stop the cow from going because the boy was sure that once the humans knew how sweet the milk of the cow was, they would never let the cow go. However, the cow did not listen to the boy and she also came to the miller’s wedding.
The goat, the sheep and the reindeer did not heed to the boy’s warning and went to the miller’s wedding.
The reindeer was in fact sure that it was so strong that no ropes could bind it, or no arrow was swift enough to reach it.
Till this day, the animals which went to the wedding, never came back to the wild.
But the animals which stayed away always remained wild in the forests.
From Andrew Lang’s Fairy Tales
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