The Wolf's Funeral
Once upon a time, beyond the lush green valleys, there was an enchanting forest shaded by mighty oaks. The innocent inhabitants of this forest had lived in the shadows for years, in fear of a cruel and cunning Wolf. On an autumn day when the wind blew cold, the old Wolf, who could no longer hunt, devised a treacherous plan. By pretending to be dead, he aimed to draw the naive animals to himself and to hunt them easily. The Cunning Fox, the deceitful friend of the Wolf, climbed a high rock in the middle of the forest and shouted. "Hear me, good folk, great news, the Wolf, Lord of the Forest, is dead and awaits a last farewell!" The sheep, the rabbits and the goats who heard this unexpected news gathered in astonishment before the cave.
Caught between fear and curiosity, the animals approached the lying Wolf with slow and timid steps. Although everyone displayed a false sorrow, deep inside they all felt a great relief. "We must hold a glorious funeral for our neighbor of so many years," said the Old Goat, looking on with suspicion. The Wolf, for his part, shut his eyes tightly and waited impatiently for his prey to come a little closer. The deceitful beast, whose belly rumbled with hunger, could hardly restrain himself in order to lie still. Just as a naive lamb was about to bend down and look at his face, the Wise Goat took him by the arm and pulled him back. "Wait a moment, my friends, I have never seen a dead one who breathes and whose whiskers tremble!" she cried out.
The other animals who heard these words looked carefully and noticed that the eyelid of the Wolf was twitching. "Since this dead one has not yet grown cold, come, let us burn him alive so that he may find peace!" shouted the Goat. The treacherous Wolf, who understood that he would be caught and burned, sprang suddenly to his feet with a growl. But the beast, whose trap was ruined, could not catch a single one of the nimble animals that fled into the bushes. The magnificent funeral turned in an instant into a joyful festival of victory. As for the treacherous Wolf, hungry and disgraced, he shut himself in his cave and was left alone with his shame. Traps set with evil intent are always doomed to tangle the feet of the one who sets them. Lies have short legs.