Barbos, Matilda and the Fox

Once upon a time, a dog named Barbos and a cat named Matilda lived on a farm. The dog dreamed of a cozy, warm kennel where he could lie down and chew a bone. And the cat dreamed of a small cat door so she could go about her important business whenever she wanted. The owner promised to make their dreams come true if they helped him get rid of a fox who had taken to stealing chickens at night.

Barbos was sure that he would deal with the fox in no time, and in his thoughts he was already settling into his new kennel. But, as it turned out, the fox was cunning. On the very first night, she fooled the diligent Barbos and stole another chicken. Barbos, seeing that he was not coping, took a pig as his assistant, then a sheep - but they also missed the chickens. When it became clear that Barbos's team had suffered a fiasco, the cat Matilda took up the matter. However, she did not even think of engaging in open combat with the fox. Matilda was a businesslike person, so she went and made a deal with the attic mice, telling them: "Make it so that the fox stops stealing the master's chickens, and I will never touch you again." The offer was profitable, and the mice came up with a cunning way to scare the fox away from the henhouse. Matilda received praise from her master and the desired cat door. But she did not forget about poor Barbos and persuaded her master to fulfill his wish too, because the dog, although he could not cope with the fox, was otherwise a very devoted and diligent assistant.

This story about resourcefulness, pride and generosity was created by the French writer Chantal de Marolles. She has already written more than a hundred works for children, in which she combines the traditions of folk tales with a modern sound. The book was illustrated by the famous German artist Axel Scheffler, known throughout the world for his stories about the Gruffalo.

Recommended reader age: 2+

Author: Chantal de Marolle
Artist: Axel Scheffler
Translation: Marina Vinogradova
Year of release: 2021
Publisher: Melik-Pashayev
Pages: 32
Cover type: Softcover
Dimensions: 215 x 280 mm