A lion was walking through the forest and met a fox. He sees that the fox has lost so much weight that he can barely drag his feet.
- Listen, what happened to you, fox? - asks the lion.
“I haven’t eaten for a week,” the fox answers, “I can’t get anything.” The lion took pity on the fox, he got some game and brought it to him.
“Brother fox,” says the lion, “eat and gain strength.”
“I don’t dare,” the fox answers, “to eat in front of such a mighty beast like you.”
“Don’t be afraid, fox,” the lion insists. - Yes, I brought it myself for you to eat.
But the lion failed to persuade the fox; he did not approach the meat.
- What should I do to make you eat? - asks the lion.
- Let me tie you hand and foot. Then we’ll eat quietly,” the fox answers.
The lion agreed. The fox tied the lion with the intestines of the lion's prey and laid him out in the very sun.
“Brother Lion, you sleep a little so that I can eat in peace,” says the fox.
The lion closed his eyes, but the fox didn’t even think about touching the meat.
- Why don’t you eat? - the lion asked sleepily.
“I won’t start until you fall asleep,” the fox answers.
The fox was waiting for the intestines to dry out in the sun and become stronger. The fox waited for him, and the lion fell asleep and ate his fill. The lion slept until the morning, and in the morning he woke up and saw that he was still tied up.
“Brother fox, untie me,” he says.
- How can I untie you? “I haven’t eaten all the meat,” the fox answers.
For two days the lion lay tied up. The fox had eaten enough, but did not agree to untie the lion. The lion decided to break the bonds; the dried intestines only dug into the body and caused pain. No matter how hard the lion tried, he could not free himself. The lion got angry and became furious.
“Oh, you traitor,” he roared, “I saved you from starvation.” Is this how you paid me? Just let me free you and see what I will do to you.
The lion's roar echoed throughout the forest. At this time a jackal ran past. He approached the lion and asked what was the matter. Leo told him everything.
“Don’t worry, brother lion,” said the jackal, “I’ll free you now.”
The jackal struggled for a long time, he gnawed through his bonds. The lion stood up and looked around - the fox was gone.
The treachery of the fox, the helplessness that the jackal saw, hurt the lion's pride. “I am the strongest animal in the world,” thought the lion, “and look what some fox did to me.”
Day and night the lion searched for the fox and finally found it. The lion roared - the fox fell dead from fear.
“This is the end of all traitors,” the lion roared.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru