There lived a tigress in a dense forest. She had one cub. Once a tigress went out into the forest for prey and suddenly a hunter met her. The hunter shot with a bow and killed the tigress. The tiger cub waited for its mother for a long time, but it did not come. Early in the morning he went in search of his mother. He searched for a long time in the forest and came to a cave. And in this cave lived a lioness. A lion cub was playing in a clearing near the cave. The tiger cub and lion cub began to play together. Soon the lioness returned home. She saw a tiger cub, licked it, and gave it milk, like her own cub. A tiger cub and a lion cub became friends, so much so that you couldn’t spill water on them.
Days and months passed, and the little animals grew up. All the inhabitants of the forest admired their friendship. They were always together - both on hunting and on vacation. The time has come, the lioness died.
The cunning fox was very jealous of the friendship between the tiger cub and the lion cub. The fox knew that as long as these two strong animals were together, no one could defeat them. The fox decided to use all his cunning to quarrel his friends. Every day, hiding, he watched his friends, wanting to know their habits better. The fox noticed that in the morning, upon waking up, the lion yawns and stretches, and the tiger, spread out, looks out for prey. The fox decided to use these habits of his friends for his own insidious purposes. I watched for each of the animals separately. “Oh, brother lion,” the fox says, having met the lion, “I want to tell you something, but I’m afraid you won’t believe it.”
“Don’t be afraid, speak up,” the lion reassured the fox.
“Your friend the tiger said that he will kill you tomorrow morning.” Leo laughed in response.
- I don't believe. Tiger is my best friend. He will sacrifice his life, but will not betray me. He and I grew up together. But the fox continued, shedding burning tears:
- As you know. But my words can be verified: pay attention to the tiger’s behavior in the morning. He wakes up, sprawls on the ground, looking around. If you don't get ahead of him, he will rush and tear you to pieces.
Although the lion did not believe the fox, doubts arose in him. “Still, I’ll take a closer look at the tiger in the morning,” he thought, “What if the fox is telling the truth.”
Leaving the lion, the fox rushed to look for the tiger, found him and, crying, approached him.
- Why are you crying, brother fox? - asked the tiger.
“You won’t believe me if I tell you,” answered the fox.
“Speak,” the tiger ordered.
“Brother Tiger,” the fox began, “out of fear of you, not a single animal dares to venture into our region.” Otherwise we will be torn to pieces for a long time. I want to tell you something in gratitude, but I’m afraid you won’t believe it.
“Speak, don’t be afraid,” the tiger reassured the fox.
“Your friend the lion will kill you tomorrow.”
-Where did you get this from? — the tiger was surprised.
“Yesterday I hid behind a stump and listened to the lion talking about this to someone,” answered the fox.
- And what do you advise? - asked the tiger.
“Early in the morning, a lion will wake up, yawn, stretch, and then rush at you and tear you apart. I advise you to get ahead of him, there is no other way out.
The tiger did not believe the fox, but decided to check what was said and, if the fox’s words were confirmed, kill the lion. Having parted with the fox, the tiger went home. That night the lion and the tiger could not sleep for a long time. In the morning they woke up and began to slowly watch each other. The lion saw that the tiger was sprawled on the ground and did not take his eyes off him. The lion, out of habit, opened its mouth and stretched. The tiger was convinced that the fox was telling the truth, and, enraged, rushed at the lion. They began to squabble and bit each other to death. And the fox, hiding behind a tree, watched the struggle of old friends. As soon as he saw that both the tiger and the lion had given up the ghost, he ran after his relatives and gathered them all.
The foxes ate tiger and lion meat and asked:
- Brother foxes, these animals were very friendly, how did they become enemies?
“I set them apart,” the fox boasted.
- How did you manage to do this?
“First I studied their habits, and then I planted doubt in each individual’s soul,” the fox began to explain. “My trick was a success; they killed each other.” And here's your food for the week. And by next week I’ll come up with something else and treat you again.
After this incident, the fox believed in his capabilities. In the same forest, two hunters lived in a lodge. One was called Pirim, the other Mamed.
Pirim and Mamed were very friendly. The fox dreamed of ridding the forest of these hunters and becoming a ruler in these parts. And the fox decided to do to the hunters what he had done to the lion and the tiger. This time the fox put on a turban, threw a cloak over his shoulders, took the staff in one paw, the rosary in the other, and went to the hunters.
“Brother hunters,” he repented, “I’m done with all the bad deeds, I’m no longer strangling chickens.” But the wolves do not allow us to live, they destroy us. There is only one hope for you. Allow me to live with you, I will guard your farm, and you will feed me with waste from the game you hunted.
Mamed took pity on the fox and allowed him to live in the lodge.
“Listen, Mamed,” Pirim warned, “the fox breed is treacherous.” Beware.
For several days the fox looked at everything. He noticed that every morning, when Pirim wakes up, the first thing he does is check the elasticity of the string of his bow. And Mamed runs to the stream, lies down on the ground and drinks cool water, then picks up a large stone and throws it far into the thicket. Neither Pirim nor Mamed knew each other's habits. The fox lay in wait for Pirim and said:
“I want to tell you something, but I’m afraid you won’t believe it.”
“Don’t be afraid, speak up,” Pirim answers. - I don’t believe it - what’s the problem with you?
The fox cried and said:
“Yesterday Mamed told someone that tomorrow he would throw a stone at you and kill you.” He didn't notice me behind the stump.
“You’re lying, fox,” answered Pirim. — Mamed is a faithful friend. He would never even think about such a thing.
“I knew that you wouldn’t believe it,” the fox insisted, “but still I couldn’t stand it and decided to say it.” If you don't believe me, check what I say tomorrow morning.
- And what will I see in the morning?
“Early in the morning, Mamed will run to the stream to dispel sleep, drink a lot of water, then take a stone and throw it at you.
Pirim did not believe the fox, but nevertheless thought: “Well, well, I’ll check the fox’s words. And then I’ll deal with him if he’s lying.”
The fox left Pirim and went to look for Mamed. He sees Mamed coming towards him. Crying, the fox stopped the hunter:
“Brother Hunter, I want to tell you something, I’m afraid you won’t believe it.”
-What is this? something I won't believe? - Mamed was surprised.
“Yes, if someone had told me this before, I wouldn’t have believed it myself,” says the fox, “but now I can’t help but believe it—I heard it with my own ears.”
“Speak, don’t delay,” Mamed urged. Fox says:
“Today Pirim said that tomorrow morning he will kill you with an arrow from his bow.”
“This can’t be,” Mamed answers, “Pirim and I are like brothers.”
Then the fox began to convince Mamed, but he still did not believe.
“Listen, hunter,” says the fox, “go early in the morning to the stream and watch Pirim from there.” You will see how Pirim will pull the bowstring twice, and the third time he will shoot an arrow at you. If all this turns out to be a lie, do whatever you want with me.
Mamed didn’t believe the fox, but thought: “Caution is the adornment of heroes, I’ll check.”
At night the hunters went to bed. In the morning, each of them did not take his eyes off the other, wanting to check the fox’s words. They see that everything the fox warned about is confirmed. The friends wanted to throw themselves at each other, but they thought that before cutting it would be a good idea to measure it seven times. They decided to talk to each other and remembered in time that many were jealous of their friendship - was it not an evil will that wanted to set them at odds?
“Brother, you’re angry today, I can see it in your eyes,” says Pirim, “what happened?”
“Yes, and you’re angry for some reason,” Mamed answers.
“Yes, you’re right,” says Pirim.
The friends sat down next to each other and told each other about everything. It turned out that the treacherous fox wanted to destroy his fellow hunters. The two friends hugged and kissed and agreed among themselves to pretend to be dead, and when the fox approached them, to catch him and kill him. They lay down on the ground and looked out from under their closed eyelids. And the fox watched them from afar. He saw that they fell to the ground, decided that they were dead, ran up, clapped his hands and said:
“Oh, fools, I ate lion and tiger meat for a week, and now I’ll eat your meat for another week.”
Meanwhile, the hunter Pirim grabbed the fox by the throat and strangled him.
“Mamed, never trust the enemy without checking his words,” he told his friend.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru