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The Fox and The Woodcutter

A fox was running away for a couple of hunters, until he saw a woodcutter. He begged the woodcutter to hide him from the hunters. The woodcutter ordered him to go inside his cottage and hide himself in there.

Not much later, the hunters arrived and asked the woodcutter if he had seen a fox passing by. The woodcutter denied with emphasis that he had seen the fox, but meanwhile he pointed with his hand to the place where he was hidden. The hunters however didn't pay attention to his gestures but believed his words.

And after they had gone away the fox left the cottage without saying anything. But the woodcutter reproached the fox for not being grateful to him while he had `rescued' him, to which the fox replied: "But I WOULD have been grateful when your gesturing and your manners would've been just as beneficent as your words!"

This story applies to those people who proclaim generous deeds, but commit evil deeds instead.

Translation © Lazyfox, 1998

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