Hukumusume fairy tale collection > Foreign language (English) > Aesop's Fables

Illustration　myi

A Lion, Fox, and Deer

(Aesop's Fables)

Translation　ちいさな翻訳屋さん

Japanese　←→　Japanese ＆ English　←→　English

　A lion became ill and was resting in a cave.

　This lion hit it off with a fox.

　The lion asked a favor to the fox when he visited the cave.

“If you want to cure my disease, can you deceive a deer in the forest and take it here?

　I’m craving for a deer’s gut and heart.”

　The fox went out to find a deer.

　Before long, he found a deer jumping around in the forest.

　The fox came up to the deer and said,

“I’ll tell you what.

　Our king Lion has been deadly sick.

　And Lion considered who should be the king after he dies.

　Wild boars are stupid and bears are sluggish.

　Leopards are short-tempered and tigers are bossy.

　Deer, on the other hand, are nice and tall with steady horns.

　You know what I’m trying to say, don’t you?

　Lion chose you for the next king.

　If you want to be the king, rush to Lion immediately.”

　By listening to the fox, the deer got excited.

　Then he followed the fox to the cave where the lion was

　Soon, the lion tried to attack the deer but he ended up tearing apart the deer’s ears.

　The deer ran back to the forest.

“Will you do me a favor? Can you please take that deer here for God's sake?”

“Well, you’re putting me to so much trouble. But ok. I’ll manage that.”

　Like a hunting dog, the fox followed the footprints of the deer and puzzled over how he could deceive the deer.

　On the way, the fox ran into some shepherd.

“Have you seen a bloody deer?”

asked the fox.

“Oh, I saw it in the den over there in the woods.

　The fox headed there and calmly greeted the deer resting.

　The deer got furious and said with the fur ruffled,

“You, filthy fox!

　You can't fool me again.

　If you get closer to me, you’ll die.

　Go deceive someone who has no idea how bad you are.

　Tell them that they’ll be the king.”

　Then the fox said,

“Are you a coward like chicken?”

　Don’t suspect us like this.

　Lion caught your ears to tell you how to complete your mental preparation when you become the king.

　But you couldn’t tolerate even when the sick Lion made a little scratch on you.

　Lion got mad at your cowardice and now he says he’ll choose a wolf for the king.

　It would be so bad for us

　if a violent wolf were to become the king.

　So come with me.

　Lion won’t hurt you. I guarantee it.”

　The fox talked the deer into going to the lion again.

　As soon as the deer entered the cave, the lion said,

“I’m not going to let you go again!”

　Then he ate from the bones to the gut of the deer.

　The fox was watching it beside them.

　A heart of the deer fell down to his feet.

　The fox quickly picked it up and ate it because he thought he deserved it after working hard for the lion.

　The lion munched the gut but couldn’t find the heart.

“Where’s the heart?”

　The lion was eagerly looking for it.

　The fox went beyond the reach of the lion and said,

“This deer didn’t have a heart so it’s no use looking for it.

　If the deer had had a heart, he wouldn’t have come to the lion’s cave twice.”



　This story tells us that if you become too bossy, you can’t make sure of things

　and notice the imminent danger.

The end

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