The Wolf and the Beetle
Once upon a time, deep in an ancient forest where lush oaks whispered to one another, there lived an arrogant wolf. This mighty wolf, whom the forest could not bring to its knees, looked down on every living creature and took pride in his own strength. Yet inside a rotten stump beneath that very same oak tree there dwelt a humble but very clever beetle. One autumn morning, while the smell of damp earth filled the air, these two opposite neighbours came face to face on the path. The wolf approached with great swagger the beetle, who stood in the middle of the road with his tiny body. Striking his enormous paw on the ground, the wolf roared, "Get out of my way, you worthless creature!"
The clever beetle, without losing his composure at all, straightened his hard shell and stared right at the huge wolf. "Do not let the smallness of my body deceive you, my arrogant neighbour, my wit and my determination are greater than your bulk," he said. Enraged by these words, the wolf burst into laughter and began to mock the beetle's courage. "Then let us test our strength, tomorrow at sunrise we shall settle our score beneath this mighty oak," he shouted. The beetle accepted the offer and sent word to all his little friends with ears in the forest. The wolf, however, trusted himself so much that he gathered the mounts and the predators behind him.
When the hour of dawn came, the first steps of a fierce struggle began to be taken in the great forest. The moment the wolf and his huge allies charged, thousands of tiny flying creatures under the beetle's leadership rose into the air. Bees, flies and little beetles poured into the ears, the eyes and the noses of the predators. Bewildered by what had struck him, the arrogant wolf thrashed about helplessly to rid himself of the hard-shelled beetle that had landed on his face. The giant animals were forced to flee without looking back before the determined assault of the tiny army. The wolf, who paid heavily for his mistaken pride, held his wounded nose with his paw and apologised to the beetle. No one should be belittled by looking at his outward appearance or his size. Eat a big bite, but do not speak a big word.