Valery Carrick’s fox in a hole threatens the nesting blackbird
The fox lies trapped in a pit beneath the tree where the blackbird is building its nest. Their unequal bargain begins here; the drawing does not depict the later escape or the village dog that finally drives the fox away.
Overview
A fox falls into a deep hole and finds a blackbird preparing its nest overhead. The bird says it is intended for raising children, and the fox threatens to eat them unless it is fed. The blackbird fetches a chicken, then water when demanded. Finally it fills the pit with sticks so the fox can climb out. The story supplies threatened future offspring, not named or already hatched nestlings.
Once free, the fox adds a demand to be amused. The blackbird brings it to a rich peasant’s gate and sings for the mistress to provide fat. While the fox enjoys the performance, a dog barks from below the gate and sends it running back into the forest. The bird’s cooperation under threat leads to this escape, but the account does not describe a physical fight, the fox’s death or a separate magical transformation.
Origins & earliest records
More Russian Picture Tales: The Fox and the Blackbird, printed pp. 103–114. Valery Carrick, translated by Nevill Forbes; the selected undated title carries copyright dates 1914 and 1920, without identifying an individual oral narrator or locality.
Records & interpretation
Complete selected animal-tale dialogue supports speech, threats, deceptive appearances and the stated ending. The figures are literary anthropomorphic animals, with no added supernatural anatomy or biological species record.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
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More Russian Picture Tales: The Fox and the Blackbird, pp. 103–114
Complete selected tale through its stated ending; no unnamed continuation or hidden magical identity imported.
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Primary textCarrick/Forbes: The Fox and the Blackbird, complete selected taleResearch access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
Historical illustrationValery Carrick’s fox in a hole threatens the nesting blackbird
The fox lies trapped in a pit beneath the tree where the blackbird is building its nest. Their unequal bargain begins here; the drawing does not depict the later escape or the village dog that finally drives the fox away.
