On a cold winter day, Abu al-Husayn was suffering from pain and regret as he returned to his den. He had searched most of the day for food for his little ones but didn’t find anything. While he was wandering right and left, he saw the fur of one of the shepherds hanging on an olive tree trunk. It was close at hand, so he took it and wore it, walking proudly with it.
He passed by a hyena, who asked him: Where did you get this fur, Abu al-Husayn? He answered: I made it myself. Sewing is my profession and my entire family’s profession. The hyena said to him: Can you make me a fur like it?
He said to him: Welcome, but you’re large in body, and I think I need four ewes until I can prepare it. The hyena said: I will bring you all these ewes, one every week. Every time the hyena brought an ewe to Abu al-Husayn, he took it to his den and ate it with his children.
After a month passed, the hyena met Abu al-Husayn and asked him: Is the fur ready, Abu al-Husayn? He said: Yes, but it’s missing the sleeves. He said: What do you mean? He said: Bring me two small lambs. When the hyena brought them, Abu al-Husayn took them to his den and ate them with his children.
After a few days, the hyena met Abu al-Husayn and asked about the fur. He said to him: It’s complete, but it lacks a belt, and an ewe is enough for that. The hyena didn’t delay and brought a fat ewe and gave it to Abu al-Husayn. He took it to his den and ate it with his little ones. After a while, the hyena met Abu al-Husayn, and signs of anger and distress appeared on him. When he asked Abu al-Husayn about the fur, he answered that it was ready and he could come with him to his den to take it and depart with it.
When they reached the den, one of Abu al-Husayn’s sons was sunning himself outside the den. He said to him: Hurry, my son, to the den and bring your uncle the hyena’s fur. Abu al-Husayn winked at his son with his eye not to return. The time passed, and no one returned. After several hours, Abu al-Husayn said to the hyena: I think this accursed one has forgotten and fallen asleep. I will go myself to bring the fur.
The hyena had become certain of Abu al-Husayn’s deception and lying. When he tried to infiltrate into the den, he grabbed him by the tail and pulled him violently. The tail broke off, and the fox remained in the den trembling with fear. The hyena threatened and promised for a period of time but finally departed.
Abu al-Husayn thought of a nice trick to save himself from the hyena’s revenge. Finally, he said to himself: If the number of my friends becomes cut-tailed like me, the matter will confuse the hyena, and I will save myself. So the fox invited a group of his friends to his house and said: Yesterday I found a person named Alush. I saw trees filled with clusters of white and black grapes. Are you ready to go to them at sunset?
They answered in one voice: Ready, ready. At sunset, Abu al-Husayn led his friends to the vineyard. There they spread in the vineyard to eat whatever was delicious of the white and black grape clusters. Meanwhile, Abu al-Husayn tied each of their tails to a tree trunk. When he finished, he began running to the vineyard owner’s house quickly, shouting and saying: Run, Alush, the entire vineyard is beasts.
Alush heard the call. He called his family and neighbors and informed them of the matter. Immediately, they armed themselves with sticks and knives and hurried toward the vineyard. Abu al-Husayn had preceded them there and informed his friends of the matter, so these rushed to flee and left the vineyard before the attackers arrived. But they left, having lost their tails, with shouts rising from the intensity of pain.
After a while, the hyena met Abu al-Husayn in one of the fields. He grabbed him strongly and said: You won’t escape me this time. Abu al-Husayn feigned frowning and said: May God forgive you, my master. I haven’t seen you before this day. Woe to you! And this cut tail? Aren’t you the one I cut for you when you escaped from me? He said: No, my master. I’m from a family all of whose members are cut-tailed. Look. The hyena looked around him and saw a number of them with cut tails. He released Abu al-Husayn, wondering at what he saw, and Abu al-Husayn continued on his way. The hyena wondered, saying: What a strange and amazing creature this is.