One day, while the fox was busy eating, an ermine ran past in his magnificent attire.
-Would you like a taste, buddy? Don't be shy! - the fox, satiated and grown-up, suggested to him.
“Thank you humbly,” the ermine answered with dignity, “but I’ve already had lunch.”
- Ha-ha-ha! - she laughed. “There are no more modest animals on earth than you, stoats.” How neat you are! You're just amazed. You eat once a day and prefer to go hungry so as not to get your fur coat dirty.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, hunters appeared. The redhead disappeared with lightning speed - only she was seen, and the ermine rushed headlong to its hiding place. But the midday sun managed to melt the snow, and the ermine mink, so neat and well-groomed in the morning, became covered in mud. The snow-white animal hesitated a little, trying not to get its fur coat dirty, and that’s when the hunters struck it down on the spot.
Moderation serves as a reliable protection against vices. The proud ermine prefers to die rather than have its purity sullied.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru