The Fox and the Cat
Once upon a time, at the edge of an old forest where cool waters ran, there lived a showy fox who took pride in his cunning. One day this proud fox met a modest cat who was resting quietly on the branch of a tree. Swinging his handsome tail with arrogance, the fox drew near the cat and looked down on him. The quiet and dignified manner of the cat loosened the tongue of the conceited fox completely. Beneath the golden light that filtered through the bright green leaves, the two animals began a deep conversation. Puffing out his chest, the fox asked, "How many different ways do you have to save yourself in the moment of danger?" Smiling with sincerity, the cat said, "I have only one remedy, and that is to climb a tree."
Hearing this answer, the fox swelled with self-importance and burst into loud laughter. "What a pity for you," said the fox, "in my saddlebag there are a full hundred thousand wiles for escaping from hunters." The cat listened in silence to this boasting of the fox and showed respect for his vast experience. But just at that moment, the terrible barking of wild hunting dogs was heard from afar. With the sound that the wind carried, the peace of the forest fled in an instant. It was plainly understood that the hunters and the fierce dogs were drawing near. Without losing any time, the cat turned to the only remedy it knew and at once climbed to the top of a tall oak tree.
Hidden in the safe shade of the branch, the cat called out to the fox who was floundering below in bewilderment. "Be quick, brother fox, choose one of your hundred wiles and save your life!" he shouted. But the cunning fox could not decide among the thousand wiles in his mind and fell into hesitation. As the fox paused, bewildered about which way to choose, the eager hunting dogs surrounded him in an instant. The fox, who possessed hundreds of plans, fell victim to his own indecision and did not manage to escape. In hard times, instead of a thousand irresolute plans, a single effective remedy saves life. He who knows much errs much.