|
|
|
|
57-2 - The
Tale
of the Wolf and the Fox:
The Tale of the Falcon and the Partridge
The
fox said - "Once I entered a vineyard to eat its grapes, that I saw a
falcon over a partridge seizing him. But the partridge escaped from his
grip. The falcon followed him and called out to him - "I saw you hungry and
took pity on you, so I picked some grains for you and took hold of you, so that you
can eat, but you fled from me. I don't know the reason of your fleeing
away. Come out, and take these grains I have brought them only for you to eat.
They will improve your health." When the partridge heard this he
believed him and came out. At this the falcon struck his feathers into him
and seized him. The partridge said - "You lied to me. May Allaah make
my meat you eat, should become poison to you." So when the falcon ate
the partridge, his feathers fell, he got weak and died at the spot."
The
fox continued - "So O wolf, Who digs a pit for his brother, soon
falls into it. You deceived me first." The wolf said - "Don't
tell me all these stories, do not remind me my ill actions, pity me like a
true friend. A real friend is better than a real brother. If you will save
me today, I will teach you rare tricks - how to open vineyards and pluck
the fruits from the trees, etc etc." The fox said - "These talks look
strange from an ignorant like you." "What the wise men
say?"
The
fox said "The wise men say that the gross of body is gross of
mind, far from intelligence and thus ignorance. How can I be your true
friend considering your ill behavior? I count you as my enemy who is
rejoicing in your troubles. You say that you will teach me tricks, you
first use your tricks to get out from here. You are like a sick man who is
saying to another sick man, "Shall I treat you?" The other sick
man said 'Why don't you treat first yourself?" At this the first one
went away. So stay where you are."
The
wolf understood that he can't get help from the fox, so he started
weeping, and said to himself - "If I will be out of here, I will
surely repent for my ill actions towards those who are weaker than me. I
will go to mountains and pray Allaah. I will not live with wild beasts and
I will feed the poor."
Hearing
this the fox got pity on him, filled with joy, he stood on his hind legs
and let his tail hang in the pit. The wolf arose, pulled the fox's tail so
that the fox also fell in the pit. Then said the wolf - "Why were you
enjoying in my misery? Now you have come with me, the death in company is
the best of things. I will kill you now first before you kill me."
The fox said - "Do not kill me, you will not be benefited by that and
we both will die here." The wolf asked - "What is your plan now
to get out of here?"
The
fox said - "When I heard your promises, I took pity on you and gave
my tail to grasp and come up, but you did not leave your habit. Now only
one thing can save us, if you accept it." "What is that?"
Fox said - "You stand at you full height, till I come near the level
of the earth. Then I will spring and reach the ground, and when I am out of the
pit, I will bring you out what you may lay hold of." The wolf said -
"I have no faith in you." The fox asked - "Then do you have
any other device to come out of this pit? If not, then do not distrust me. You
have to trust me for one of the two things - either I shall bring somebody
to take you out, or I will leave you here to die. "Faith is fair and
faithlessness is foul." - that is why trust me." The wolf said -
"OK, I accept your proposal, but if you deceive me, you will get
destroyed."
Then
the wolf stood upright, took the fox on his shoulders, raised him to the
ground level, and fox took a leap from his shoulders and came out of the
pit. The wolf cried - "Do not forget me." The fox said -
"I have done my job to save you by letting down my tail but you
pulled me down. Now what?" Hearing this the wolf bit his forehand and
said to the fox - "If you will take me out, I will reward you
fairly." The fox said - "By your this promise of reward, I
recollect a story of a snake who was running. Seeing him running, a man
asked him- "Why are you running so fast?" The snake said -
"I am running from a snake charmer who wants to trap me. If you will
save me, I will reward you fairly." The man took her and kept her in
his breast pocket. When the serpent had passed, the serpent had no fear,
so the man said - "Where is my reward you promised me?" She said
- "Tell me in which part or limb I should bite you?" and so
saying she bit him and he instantly died."
Then
the fox climbed a hill and gave a loud cry to wake the caretakers of the
vineyard. They woke up and came quickly to find a wolf in the pit. The fox
had already run away seeing them coming. They hit him with stones and
sticks, till they killed him. Then they went away. The fox returned,
wagged his tail in joy and lived there alone till his death.
|
