There was once a wonderful musician, who went quite alone through a forest and thought of all manner of things, and when nothing was left for him to think about, he said to himself, "Time is beginning to pass heavily with me here in the forest, I will fetch hither a good companion for myself." Then he took his fiddle from his back, and played so that it echoed through the trees. It was not long before a wolf came trotting through the thicket towards him. "Ah, here is a wolf coming! I have no desire for him!" said the musician; but the wolf came nearer and said to him, "Ah, dear musician, how beautifully thou dost play! I should like to learn that, too." "It is soon learnt," the musician replied, "thou hast only to do all that I bid thee." "Oh, musician," said the wolf, "I will obey thee as a scholar obeys his master." The musician bade him follow, and when they had gone part of the way together, they came to an old oak-tree which was hollow inside, and cleft in the middle. "Look," said the musician, "if thou wilt learn to fiddle, put thy fore paws into this crevice." The wolf obeyed, but the musician quickly picked up a stone and with one blow wedged his two paws so fast that he was forced to stay there like a prisoner. "Stay there until I come back again," said the musician, and went his way.

After a while he again said to himself, "Time is beginning to pass heavily with me here in the forest, I will fetch hither another companion," and took his fiddle and again played in the forest. It was not long before a fox came creeping through the trees towards him. "Ah, there's a fox coming!" said the musician. "I have no desire for him." The fox came up to him and said, "Oh, dear musician, how beautifully thou dost play! I should like to learn that too." "That is soon learnt," said the musician. "Thou hast only to do everything that I bid thee." "Oh, musician," then said the fox, "I will obey thee as a scholar obeys his master." "Follow me," said the musician; and when they had walked a part of the way, they came to a footpath, with high bushes on both sides of it. There the musician stood still, and from one side bent a young hazel-bush down to the ground, and put his foot on the top of it, then he bent down a young tree from the other side as well, and said, "Now little fox, if thou wilt learn something, give me thy left front paw." The fox obeyed, and the musician fastened his paw to the left bough. "Little fox," said he, "now reach me thy right paw" and he tied it to the right bough. When he had examined whether they were firm enough, he let go, and the bushes sprang up again, and jerked up the little fox, so that it hung struggling in the air. "Wait there till I come back again," said the musician, and went his way.

Again he said to himself, "Time is beginning to pass heavily with me here in the forest, I will fetch hither another companion," so he took his fiddle, and the sound echoed through the forest. Then a little hare came springing towards him. "Why, a hare is coming," said the musician, "I do not want him." "Ah, dear musician," said the hare, "how beautifully thou dost fiddle; I too, should like to learn that." "That is soon learnt," said the musician, "thou hast only to do everything that I bid thee."

"Oh, musician," replied the little hare, "I will obey thee as a scholar obeys his master." They went a part of the way together until they came to an open space in the forest, where stood an aspen tree. The musician tied a long string round the little hare's neck, the other end of which he fastened to the tree. "Now briskly, little hare, run twenty times round the tree!" cried the musician, and the little hare obeyed, and when it had run round twenty times, it had twisted the string twenty times round the trunk of the tree, and the little hare was caught, and let it pull and tug as it liked, it only made the string cut into its tender neck. "Wait there till I come back," said the musician, and went onwards.

The wolf, in the meantime, had pushed and pulled and bitten at the stone, and had worked so long that he had set his feet at liberty and had drawn them once more out of the cleft. Full of anger and rage he hurried after the musician and wanted to tear him to pieces. When the fox saw him running, he began to lament, and cried with all his might, "Brother wolf, come to my help, the musician has betrayed me!" The wolf drew down the little tree, bit the cord in two, and freed the fox, who went with him to take revenge on the musician. They found the tied-up hare, whom likewise they delivered, and then they all sought the enemy together.

The musician had once more played his fiddle as he went on his way, and this time he had been more fortunate. The sound reached the ears of a poor wood-cutter, who instantly, whether he would or no, gave up his work and came with his hatchet under his arm to listen to the music. "At last comes the right companion," said the musician, "for I was seeking a human being, and no wild beast." And he began and played so beautifully and delightfully that the poor man stood there as if bewitched, and his heart leaped with gladness. And as he thus stood, the wolf, the fox, and the hare came up, and he saw well that they had some evil design. So he raised his glittering axe and placed himself before the musician, as if to say, "Whoso wishes to touch him let him beware, for he will have to do with me!" Then the beasts were terrified and ran back into the forest. The musician, however, played once more to the man out of gratitude, and then went onwards.

Again he said to himself, "I'm running out of time here in the forest; I'll fetch another journeyman," took his violin, and the sound resounded through the forest. Then a rabbit came jumping along. "Oh, a rabbit is coming!" said the minstrel, "I didn't want him." "Well, you dear minstrel," said the bunny, "what a beautiful fiddle you play, I'd like to learn that, too." "It will soon be learned," said the minstrel, "you have only to do all that I bid you." "O minstrel," answered the little hare, "I will obey you as a pupil obeys his master." They walked a little way together until they came to a clear place in the forest where there was an aspen tree. The minstrel tied a long string around the bunny's neck, the other end of which he tied to the tree. "Cheer up, bunny, now jump me twenty times around the tree," called the minstrel, and the bunny obeyed, and as he had run around twenty times, so the string had wound itself twenty times around the trunk, and the bunny was caught, and he might pull and tug as he pleased, he only cut the string in his soft neck. "Wait there until I come back," said the minstrel, and went on his way.
The wolf, meanwhile, had moved, pulled, bitten at the stone, and worked until he had freed his paws and pulled them out of the crevice again. Full of anger and rage, he rushed after the minstrel and wanted to tear him apart. When the fox saw him running, he began to wail, and cried out at the top of his voice, "Brother wolf, come to my rescue, the minstrel has deceived me." The wolf pulled down the little trees, bit the cords in two, and freed the fox, who went with him to take revenge on the minstrel. They found the bound bunny, which they also released, and then all together sought out their enemy.
The minstrel had sounded his fiddle again on his way, and this time he had been happier. The sounds reached the ears of a poor woodcutter who, willingly or unwillingly, left his work and came to hear the music with his axe under his arm. "At last the right fellow comes," said the minstrel, "for I was looking for a man and not wild animals." And he began to play so beautifully and sweetly that the poor man stood there as if enchanted, and his heart sank with joy. As he stood there, the wolf, the fox and the rabbit approached, and he realized that they were up to no good. Then he raised his flashing axe and stood in front of the minstrel, as if to say "whoever wants to get at him, beware, he is dealing with me." The animals were frightened and ran back into the forest, but the minstrel played one more tune to thank the man and then went on his way.