The Foolish Wolf
Wolves are known for their clever ways and for their skills in hunting. But there was once, in a small forest, a wolf who was not only very foolish but very lazy too. One day he decided that instead of taking the trouble of hunting for prey he would go and ask the farmer, who lived close to the forest, to give him something to eat. He went to the farmhouse and said in a very sweet voice, "Good morning, kind farmer, could you give me something to eat?" "I am very busy," replied the farmer. "Go to the meadow where the priest's mare is grazing and eat her." The wolf thanked him for a good idea and went at once to the meadow where, indeed, the mare was grazing peacefully. "Good morning, mare," he said in a most polite voice. "Good morning," said the mare. "What do you want here?" "The farmer has said I could eat you," replied the wolf. The mare understood that the wolf was not very intelligent. "Very well then," she said, "I suggest that you start eating me from the tail so that by the time you come to my stomach, I can continue to eat and fill it up a little more." The wolf was dazed by the brilliant idea. He went and stood behind the mare thinking of how he could get a good grip on her tail. But the mare kicked him so hard with her hind legs that he fell ten yards away. The wolf got up, rubbed his joints, and went back to the farmer.
"Please give me something to eat," he pleaded again. "Wasn't the mare enough for you?" asked the farmer. "Let's not talk of the mare," said the wolf, wincing at the very mention of the name. "I've never been kicked so hard in my life." "Well, then go and eat the ram. He is grazing on the hillock over there," the farmer said. The wolf went to the hillock and saw the ram busy nibbling at the shrubs. "Good morning, ram," said the wolf with an air of impertinence. "Good morning," bleated the ram. "And what is your business here?" "I have come to eat you," answered the wolf. "Very well," said the ram, "Why don't you go and stand at the foot of the hill and open your mouth as wide as you can. Then I'll jump straight into it and you can gobble me at one go." The wolf could hardly wait a minute. He rushed down the hill and stood there opening his mouth so wide that it looked like a well. The ram came charging down and knocked the wolf so hard with his horns that the poor wolf went rolling like a ball. Once again he rubbed himself and went back to the farmer begging for something to eat. "It's you again!" cried the farmer. "This time do as I tell you and don't come back to bother me. Look, under that tree, there's a pig sleeping. Go and eat him." The wolf went there at once and without much ceremony told the pig that he wanted to eat him. "What a silly idea!" exclaimed the pig.
"Do you know I could be of much help to you? Maybe I could change your destiny altogether. Jump on to my back and I'll take you to a village where thy are going to choose a chief to rule them. I'm sure that if they saw you they would choose you at once." The wolf was dumb with joy. Without wasting a moment he hopped onto the pig's back and they went towards the village. The pig took him to the center of the market place and began to grunt very loudly. "Why are you making such a lot of noise?" whispered the wolf. "So that the people can see you," replied the pig, and began to grunt more loudly. The villagers, when they saw the wolf sitting on top of the pig, thought that he had caught him and was going to eat him. They gathered together with their sticks and pitchforks and began to beat the wolf. When it was all over, the wolf got up, rubbed himself, and with his tail between his legs, went back to the forest. On the way, he made up his mind that from the next day he would go and hunt for himself, rather than go and ask the farmer or anyone else for something to eat.
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