One day a wolf was running through the mountains and saw a horse grazing peacefully in the valley, nibbling grass. The wolf was very hungry and decided to eat her. But as soon as he approached the horse, growling and baring his teeth, she raised her head and said:
“I beg you, wolf, be so kind as to pull the nail out of my hoof, otherwise the blacksmith shod me poorly, drove in a nail that was too big, and now it hurts to step on my foot.” And after that you can eat me if you want.
The wolf became curious to look at the nail, and he asked:
- On which leg?
“Yes, on this one,” answered the horse, pointing to its hind leg. - It hurts a lot.
- Well, raise your hoof, I’ll take a look what’s there.
The wolf came closer, stretched out its muzzle, and the horse bucked and hit him with its hoof right in the forehead. The wolf flew head over heels to the side, and when he woke up and came to his senses, there was no trace of the horse.
For a long time afterwards the wolf’s head ached, and he, scouring the mountains and valleys, repeated, annoyed at his mistake:
- After all, I have my own wolf craft, and it won’t be a hassle or run around either. Why else did I need to shoulder the blacksmith’s worries?
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru