There was a large forest with many birds and animals. One of the times, there was a bull walking in the forest. He stood before a cave. Near the cave was a large pool and a patch of land covered with green grass.
The bull thought this place was suitable to be his home. The bull began sleeping in the cave and began turning it into his home. Many days passed. The bull felt that his new home pleased him greatly, to the point that his health became much better. The bull was happy and felt safe. He had many friends in the forest.
One day, the bull was resting outside the cave. A lion passed before him. The lion was feeling happy because he was hungry and had been searching for days for any animal to eat. The lion thought the bull looked like a good meal and seemed fatty and would be a good meal for him.
The bull also noticed the lion and felt some fear. He thought he must protect himself. The bull thought he must do something to hide. When the lion approached the bull, the clever bull looked inside the cave and shouted in a loud voice: “My little ones, don’t eat anything from dinner. I have found a lion, and I expect him to approach until I am finished.” When the lion heard what the bull said, he turned and ran quickly, fearing for his life.
At that time, there was a fox who had seen the lion running and had cut himself off. The fox asked the lion: “Why are you running, master lion?” The lion told him what had happened. The fox replied to him: “The bull has deceived you. And what would happen if you came with me and we two bulls turned into a delicious dinner for us.”
But the lion at that time felt extreme fear and refused the fox’s offer. The fox realized the lion had refused, so he decided to reassure him, saying to him: “Relax, tie your tail to my tail, and let me walk in front. If the situation becomes dangerous with the bull, you can escape yourself.”
The lion agreed to the fox’s plan, and indeed, he tied his tail to the fox’s tail, and the fox and the lion set off toward the bull’s cave. They both approached the cave. When the bull saw the fox and the lion, the bull thought quickly and said to the fox: “I had agreed with you to bring two lions. Why did you bring only one lion? Do you want my children to stay hungry?” The lion felt shame and didn’t understand this time either that the bull was deceiving him. He felt terror and decided to run far away from him. The lion ran as fast as he could and didn’t realize his tail was still tied to the fox, and thus he was dragging the fox with him on his way. The lion was dragging the fox on the ground among rocks and stones.
The clever bull managed to deceive the lion a second time and tricked the fox on his path as well. The bull escaped with his cleverness and saved himself. The lion and the fox decided not to return to this path again, and from that time, the bull lives in happiness and safety. He managed to marry and have a small family with his wife and children.
The Lesson of the Story:
Cleverness can overcome power. Speed of thinking can save your life in many situations.
Translated from the story: The Clever Bull