The Mythology & Folklore Database
"I'll do that," answered the horse, "but you must promise not to eat me."
The lion promised, and the horse dug with his hooves until he had freed the lion. However, as soon as the lion saw that he was free, he said, "Now I am going to eat you."
"What were the conditions?" said the horse. "Did we not agree that you would not eat me?"
"That makes no difference now," shouted the lion. "But if you want to, we can go before a judge."
"Good," replied the horse. "But whom shall we choose?"
"The fox," said the lion.
The horse agreed to this, so they went to the fox, and the lion presented him with the question.
"Yes," answered the fox, "it seems to me that you must be right, Mr. Lion, but I cannot finalize my judgment until I have seen how the two of you were standing."
So all three of them went to the rocky cleft, and the horse positioned himself in the same place he had stood. Then the fox told the lion to force himself back into the cleft. "Is that how you were standing?" he asked.
"This leg was a little more twisted," answered the lion.
"Then push yourself in a little more tightly. You must be in exactly the same position as you were when you asked the horse for help."
The lion pushed himself in a little more, and the fox asked again, "Is that exactly how you were standing?"
"This front leg was a little further inside."
"Then push yourself in still a little more."
Finally the lion had pushed himself in so tightly that he could not get out again.
"So," said the fox. "now you are exactly where you were before. Now the horse can decide whether he will help you out again."
The horse, however, did not want to do so, but instead threw stones at the lion until he was dead.
Yes, indeed, the fox is sly!