Mh
Hh
a

a

 

@he f€ox and the {p)\orse.

PEASANT once had a faithful horse who had grown old and could
not serve his master any longer, and therefore he did not care to

"i provide him with food, so he said to him: “I really do not want

K\ you any more, for you are of no use to me, but if you can prove

your strength by bringing me a lion I will keep you as long as you

live; but now just walk out of my stable and go and make yourself a home in
the fields.”

The horse, feeling very sad, wandered away till he came to a wood, that
he might shelter himself under the trees in bad weather. A fox met him and
said: “Friend, why do you hang your head and look so lonely?” |

“Ah,” replied the horse, “my master has forgotten for how many years I
have served him and borne him safely from place to place, and now that | am
unable to plough any longer he will not provide me with food and has sent me
away. He told me that if 1 was strong enough to bring him a lion he would
take me back and keep me, but he knows very well that I could not possibly
do that.” , .

Then said the fox: “Don’t be down-hearted, I can help you; sojust lie down
here, stretch yourself out as if you were dead, and do not move.”

The horse did as the fox desired, while the fox went to a lion, not far off,
and said to him: “Yonder lies a dead horse; come with me and you can have a
good feast.”

The lion went with him, but when they reached the spot the fox said:
“You cannot make a meal comfortably here. I'll tell you what I will do; I will
tie the horse on to you by the tail, and then you can drag him to your den and
consume him at your leisure.”