A LION, growing old, lay sick in his cave. All the beasts came to visit their king, except the Fox. The Wolf therefore, thinking that he had a capital opportunity, accused the Fox to the Lion of not paying any respect to him who had the rule over them all and of not coming to visit him. At that very moment the Fox came in and heard these last words of the Wolf. The Lion roaring out in a rage against him, the Fox sought an opportunity to defend himself and said, “And who of all those who have come to you have benefited you so much as I, who have traveled from place to place in every direction, and have sought and learnt from the physicians the means of healing you?” The Lion commanded him immediately to tell him the cure, when he replied, “You must flay a wolf alive and wrap his skin yet warm around you.” The Wolf was at once taken and flayed; whereon the Fox, turning to him, said with a smile, “You should have moved your master not to ill, but to good, will.”
年老いたライオンが、病気でほら穴に寝ていた。獣たちはみな王さまのお見舞いにやって来たが、キツネだけは来なかった。そこでオオカミは、これは絶好の機会だと思い、キツネはみんなを治める王さまに敬意を払わず、お見舞いにも来ないと、ライオンに告げ口した。ちょうどそのときキツネが入ってきて、オオカミの最後の言葉を耳にした。ライオンがキツネに向かって怒ってほえたてたので、キツネは弁明の機会を求めて言った。「お見舞いに来た者たちの中で、いったいだれが、わたしほど王さまのお役に立ったでしょうか？ わたしはあちこち方々を旅して回り、医者たちを訪ねて、王さまのご病気を治す方法を教わってきたのです。」ライオンがすぐにその治療法を言うよう命じると、キツネは答えた。「オオカミの皮を生きたままはいで、まだ温かいうちにお体に巻きつけなさいませ。」オオカミはたちまち捕らえられ、皮をはがれた。そこでキツネはオオカミのほうを向いて、にやりと笑って言った。「ご主人さまには、悪意ではなく、善意を起こさせるようにすべきだったな。」