How the Fox Outsmarted the Lion

One evening, feeling hungry, the fox left her den and began wandering through the forest in search of food. She walked until she was tired but found nothing edible.
The fox remembered that she hadn't had a crumb to eat since the day before, and her heart filled with anger toward the lion, who had deprived her of a tasty meal. Yesterday, she had sneaked into a village near the forest, stolen a duck, and could have escaped with it, but suddenly she heard the lion's roar. She had to drop the duck and flee.

Yes, if it weren't for the lion, she would have had a delicious meal. Rage blinded her. She walked without paying attention to her path and suddenly saw the lion in front of her. The fox trembled, fear gripped her, but she composed herself and said:
- Lion, run quickly, save yourself: a storm is coming soon!
- I am very heavy, - replied the lion, - a storm doesn't scare me.
- What will you do? The wind will be very strong.
- I will lie down on the ground.
- That won't stop the storm from carrying you away.
- I will hold onto a tree trunk.
- The wind will blow for several days. You won't be able to hold onto the tree trunk for that long.

Then the lion, genuinely frightened, shouted:
- If that's the case, tell me what to do!
- Let me tie you to the tree, and even the strongest wind won't harm you, - the cunning fox suggested.
- A brilliant idea, - agreed the lion. After tying the lion to the tree, the fox sat down on a nearby rock.
- Why aren't you seeking shelter to save yourself from the storm? - the lion asked her.
- Because there won't be any storm, - the fox calmly replied.

The lion became furious and roared loudly. Immediately, various animals gathered.
Seeing the lion tied to the tree and the fox sitting calmly nearby, they were surprised and asked what this meant.
- I tied him up, - the fox explained, - in revenge for depriving me of my dinner yesterday. This should serve as a lesson to all of you. Let the strong beware of attacking the weak.

And she began to strut proudly and importantly, while all the animals looked at her with fear and respect.

More fairy tales

• The Wolf, the Fox, and the Dog
• The Beggar and Happiness
• 2. Sinbad the Sailor (The Second Voyage)
• The Tale of Ja'far and His Brothers
• Who is Stronger