The Wolf and the Fox Before the Monkey Judge
Once upon a time, in the heart of a deep forest shaded by lush green trees, a colourful life went on. In this forest lived a dappled fox known for its cunning and a grey wolf known for its greed. One autumn morning the fresh prey in the wolf's cave suddenly disappeared. Mad with rage, the wolf began to search for the suspect, shouting through the forest at the top of its voice. In the end the arrows of its suspicion turned toward the cunning fox that glided silently among the bushes. The wolf blocked the fox's path and shouted at it in a harsh voice. "You stole my tasty meal, give it back to me at once!"
The fox, with an innocent air, narrowed its eyes and denied the accusation. "I did not touch your prey, you cannot slander me!" it replied. As the quarrel grew, both sides decided to seek the justice of the wise monkey to settle the matter. The judge monkey, sitting on the branch of a tall oak, listened carefully to the two parties. The wolf described with exaggerated words and tears how great a loss it had suffered. The fox for its part swore oaths to prove what an honest neighbour it was. The monkey stroked its long beard and calmly watched the theatre of the two frauds.
When the trial ended, the wise monkey struck its wooden mallet on the log and announced its verdict. "You, o wolf, do not really look like one who has lost anything," it said. "And you, o fox, though you say you did not steal, look as if you had done this theft," it added. The monkey declared to everyone that both had lost their credibility because of their past lies. So the one who seemed right was found wrong and the one who looked innocent was found guilty, and both left empty-handed. The words of liars and cheats are taken seriously by no one, even when they tell the truth. The liar's candle burns only till nightfall.