One day the fox said to the hyena:
“Come with me, I’ll show you a place where you can have a hearty meal.”
The hyena was happy and went with her. The fox led the hyena to a paddock where there were a lot of cattle, but the paddock was locked; it was always locked at night. The fox and hyena walked around the fence, found a gap and crawled into the enclosure. They killed a lot of livestock and began to eat.
But the fox got enough and decided to get out of the fence. True, she barely got through the gap - her stomach was so swollen. But she got through anyway. But the hyena remained in the pen.
Meanwhile, the hyena ate and ate meat. When I ate to my heart’s content and wanted to get out of the pen - it wasn’t to be! Only the front part of the body fit through the gap. Her stomach was very swollen.
So the hyena remained in the pen.
In the morning the owner of the cattle came to the paddock, and there was a hyena! He grabbed a stick and started hitting the hyena until it broke free and ran away.
All beaten up, the hyena went to look for the fox who had so treacherously abandoned her.
And the fox, seeing the hyena, fell to the ground and, rubbing his sides, began to lament:
“Oh my elder sister, they almost killed me!” Oh, how it hurts, oh, how it hurts! I can’t even take a step? Help me, sister, get home!
The hyena put the fox on her back and carried it. The fox began to laugh and sing:
- The sick one is bringing the healthy one! The sick brings the healthy!
The hyena heard this, threw the fox off and chased after it. The fox rushes into the cave. The hyena is behind her. And what does she see? The fox pulled himself into a string and pressed his paws against the ceiling! Just as the hyena wanted to grab the fox, she screamed:
“Oh, my sister, don’t do this, otherwise the ceiling will fall and crush us!” Help me hold him, and then you will finish me! Hold the ceiling while I go cut down the stake, let's put it up for support!
The hyena agreed and remained holding the ceiling, and the fox rushed out of the cave and was like that.
Here stands a hyena holding the ceiling of a cave, waiting patiently for the fox to get a stake.
And at this time the monkeys who lived in this cave returned home. They were surprised to see the hyena and asked:
- What are you doing here?
- Yes, I’m holding the ceiling! The fox says it's about to collapse! She ran for the stake. “Maybe we can hold the ceiling,” the hyena answered.
The monkeys laughed:
- Leave it! The ceiling is held firmly and will not fall. The hyena got even more angry and went to look for the fox again.
He sees a fox sitting by the pit and muttering something. And in that hole there was a bees’ nest, but the hyena didn’t know about it.
- Oh, I got it! - the hyena screamed. - The hour of your death has come!
And the fox humbly answered:
“I really am very, very bad.” I know there can be no mercy for me. But today is a holiday, look, the children are singing songs, and so am I. You see, I have a book, I pray through it!
The hyena heard the buzzing of bees and said:
- Yes, I hear them, they really sing! And the fox continues:
“That’s why I ask you: don’t kill me today, wait until tomorrow!” Better take a book and pray with us!
- Where can I get a book? - asked the hyena.
“Yes, in the hole,” answered the fox. - Choose any one - there are many of them.
The hyena obeyed, climbed into the hole for a book and disturbed the bees. They attacked the hyena and bit its entire face. Meanwhile, the fox ran away.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru