The Privileged Donkey, the Fox and the Wolf
Once upon a time, at the edge of an old forest where cool waters flowed with a roar, there lived a very proud donkey. Because this donkey worked in the special service of the palace, he always held himself superior to all the other creatures of the forest. On a warm afternoon when the sun filtered through the leaves, he met a cunning fox and a hungry wolf on a secluded path. The wolf, who thought that he had seen an appetizing prey, wanted to dash forward at once with impatient steps. But the clever fox, seeing the saddle embroidered with gold thread on the donkey's back, paused with suspicion and caught his companion's arm. The cunning fox whispered that this showy animal might possess a special immunity granted by the crown. The donkey, without being disturbed at all, raised his head with a haughty air and began to speak in a calm tone.
"I am a highly privileged member of the court who stands under the personal protection of the sovereign," he said. "The royal decree that forbids you to harm me is carefully engraved under my right hind horseshoe," he added. The wolf, who was blinded by hunger, paid no heed to this legal obstacle and stated that he wished to read the decree with his own eyes. The fox, however, did not abandon caution and preferred to stay behind and to watch the events from a safe distance. The wolf came close behind the donkey with great curiosity and bent his head downwards in order to see the writing. The donkey, at the very moment that he had been waiting for, gathered all his strength and threw a violent kick. The heavy blow struck the jaw of the wolf with a great noise.
The bewildered wolf leapt into the air with a cry full of pain and rolled among the thick bushes nearby. The fox, who watched the terrible scene with horror, tucked his tail and fled from there without even looking behind him. The donkey, who was saved thanks to his intelligence and his composure, continued on his way with proud steps. The wolf, whose jaw was shattered, was able to understand that there was no writing on the horseshoes only when it was too late. Thus he had to pay the price of his ignorance and his haste very dearly. Those who act thoughtlessly comprehend the greatness of the danger that they meet only after they have suffered harm. He who falls by his own fault does not cry.