The Fox and the Horse

A peasant had a faithful horse which had grown old and could do no more
work, so his master would no longer give him anything to eat and said,
"I can certainly make no more use of thee, but still I mean well by
thee; if thou provest thyself still strong enough to bring me a lion
here, I will maintain thee, but now take thyself away out of my
stable," and with that he chased him into the open country. The horse
was sad, and went to the forest to seek a little protection there from
the weather. Then the fox met him and said, "Why dost thou hang thy
head so, and go about all alone?" "Alas," replied the horse, "avarice
and fidelity do not dwell together in one house. My master has
forgotten what services I have performed for him for so many years, and
because I can no longer plough well, he will give me no more food, and
has driven me out." "Without giving thee a chance?" asked the fox. "The
chance was a bad one. He said, if I were still strong enough to bring
him a lion, he would keep me, but he well knows that I cannot do that."
The fox said, "I will help thee, just lay thyself down, stretch thyself
out, as if thou wert dead, and do not stir." The horse did as the fox
desired, and the fox went to the lion, who had his den not far off, and
said, "A dead horse is lying outside there, just come with me, thou
canst have a rich meal." The lion went with him, and when they were
both standing by the horse the fox said, "After all, it is not very
comfortable for thee here I tell thee what I will fasten it to thee by
the tail, and then thou canst drag it into thy cave, and devour it in
peace."

This advice pleased the lion: he lay down, and in order that the fox
might tie the horse fast to him, he kept quite quiet. But the fox tied
the lion's legs together with the horse's tail, and twisted and
fastened all so well and so strongly that no strength could break it.
When he had finished his work, he tapped the horse on the shoulder and
said, "Pull, white horse, pull." Then up sprang the horse at once, and
drew the lion away with him. The lion began to roar so that all the
birds in the forest flew out in terror, but the horse let him roar, and
drew him and dragged him over the country to his master's door. When
the master saw the lion, he was of a better mind, and said to the
horse, "Thou shalt stay with me and fare well," and he gave him plenty
to eat until he died.
