The Trapped Wolf and the Hedgehog
Once upon a time, in the heart of an ancient forest where dense trees cast deep shade, there lived a proud wolf and a clever hedgehog. In that damp land where the mighty oaks rustled, the greedy wolf had always been the dread of the weak animals. The humble hedgehog, however, led a peaceful life of its own with its sharp wit and the thorny armour on its back. One autumn morning, the cunning wolf, searching for prey on the misty paths, fell with a thud to the bottom of a deep trap set by the hunters. Struggling helplessly between the high earthen walls, the wolf could not get out of that dark pit however hard he tried. Just at that moment, the tiny hedgehog, stepping on the crackling leaves as it came through the bushes, appeared at the edge of the pit.
The haughty wolf, trying to hide the sorry state he had fallen into, called out to the hedgehog with sweet words and begged for help. "O my old friend, be so kind as to jump into this pit so that I may climb up by stepping on the strong quills on your back!" he pleaded. The hedgehog, noticing at once the slyness in the wolf's intention and the spark of hunger in his eyes, drew a step back. "If I help you, how am I to know that you will not make a tasty morsel of me the moment you get out of the pit?" he asked. The wolf immediately shed false tears and said, "I would never do such a wicked thing, only save me from this narrow trap!" The clever hedgehog did not fall for the wolf's promises and decided to teach him a shrewd lesson.
"If you do not want to eat me, first stretch your nose upwards so that I may cling to you and be pulled up," it said. When the wolf impatiently stretched his nose upwards, the hedgehog jabbed the sharp quills on its back right into the wolf's tender nose. Howling in pain, the wolf spun backwards and tumbled down to the bottom of the pit again. The hedgehog, meanwhile, calmly watched the wolf's helpless struggles from a safe distance. Wickedness, falling into the well it had dug itself, could not escape the punishment it deserved, even hidden behind sweet words. While the cunning wolf's howls echoed through the forest, the clever hedgehog walked away with slow steps towards its own safe nest. An alert mind that is not deceived by the sweet promises of malicious people always comes out of every danger in triumph. He who falls by his own fault does not cry.