A Dog is hiding in a hole in a tree. A cock is in the tree crowing. A fox hears and comes for a meal. Surprise!
Cunning often outwits itself.
Eliot/Jacobs Version
One moonlight night a Fox was prowling about a farmer’s hen-coop, and saw a Cock roosting high up beyond his reach. “Good news, good news!” he cried.
“Why, what is that?” said the Cock.
“King Lion has declared a universal truce. No beast may hurt a bird henceforth, but all shall dwell together in brotherly friendship.”
“Why, that is good news,” said the Cock; “and there I see some one coming, with whom we can share the good tidings.” And so saying he craned his neck forward and looked afar off.
“What is it you see?” said the Fox.
“It is only my master’s Dog that is coming towards us. What, going so soon?” he continued, as the Fox began to turn away as soon as he had heard the news. “Will you not stop and congratulate the Dog on the reign of universal peace?”
“I would gladly do so,” said the Fox, “but I fear he may not have heard of King Lion’s decree.”
Aesop For Children
A Dog and a Cock, who were the best of friends, wished very much to see something of the world. So they decided to leave the farmyard and to set out into the world along the road that led to the woods. The two comrades traveled along in the very best of spirits and without meeting any adventure to speak of.
At nightfall the Cock, looking for a place to roost, as was his custom, spied nearby a hollow tree that he thought would do very nicely for a night’s lodging. The Dog could creep inside and the Cock would fly up on one of the branches. So said, so done, and both slept very comfortably.
With the first glimmer of dawn the Cock awoke. For the moment he forgot just where he was. He thought he was still in the farmyard where it had been his duty to arouse the household at daybreak. So standing on tip-toes he flapped his wings and crowed lustily. But instead of awakening the farmer, he awakened a Fox not far off in the wood. The Fox immediately had rosy visions of a very delicious breakfast. Hurrying to the tree where the Cock was roosting, he said very politely:
“A hearty welcome to our woods, honored sir. I cannot tell you how glad I am to see you here. I am quite sure we shall become the closest of friends.”
“I feel highly flattered, kind sir,” replied the Cock slyly. “If you will please go around to the door of my house at the foot of the tree, my porter will let you in.”
The hungry but unsuspecting Fox, went around the tree as he was told, and in a twinkling the Dog had seized him.
Moral
Those who try to deceive may expect to be paid in their own coin.
Townsend version
A dog and a Cock being great friends, agreed to travel together. At nightfall they took shelter in a thick wood. The Cock flying up, perched himself on the branches of a tree, while the Dog found a bed beneath in the hollow trunk. When the morning dawned, the Cock, as usual, crowed very loudly several times. A Fox heard the sound, and wishing to make a breakfast on him, came and stood under the branches, saying how earnestly he desired to make the acquaintance of the owner of so magnificent a voice. The Cock, suspecting his civilities, said: “Sir, I wish you would do me the favor of going around to the hollow trunk below me, and waking my porter, so that he may open the door and let you in.” When the Fox approached the tree, the Dog sprang out and caught him, and tore him to pieces.
L’Estrange version (A Dog and A Cock Upon A Journy)
A dog and a cock took a journy together. The dog kennell’d in the body of a hollow tree, and the cock roosted at night upon the boughs. The cock crow’d about midnight; (at his usual hour) which brought a fox that was abroad upon the hunt immediately to the tree, and there he stood licking of his lips, at the cock, and wheedling him to get him down. He protested he never heard so angelical a voice since he was born, and what would not he do now, to hugg the creature that had given him so admirable a serenade! Pray, says the cock, speak to the porter below to open the door, and I’ll come down to ye: the fox did as he was directed, and the dog presently seiz’d and worry’d him.
Moral
The main bus’ness of the world is nothing but sharping, and putting tricks upon one another by turns.
Gherardo Image from 1480
Gallus, Canis, et Vulpes
Canis et gallus, iuncta simul amicitia, una iter faciebant. Nocte autem adventante, cum in locum quemdam arboribus consitum pervenissent, gallus, arbore adscensa, in illius ramis consedit; canis vero, in cavo eiusdem ingressus, inferius recubuit. Nocte interim ad occasum vergente, ubi dies albescere coepit, gallus de more cantare incipit. Quem cum vulpes audisset, illuc protinus, eum vorare cupiens, accessit, stansque sub arbore, ita ipsum est adlocuta, “O avis optime, quam perutilis es hominibus! Descende, quaeso, ut simul carmina nocturna canamus, nosque ad invicem oblectemur.” Cui gallus respondens, “Amica,” inquit, “ad radices arboris propius accede, pulsa truncum, ac ianitorem voca.” Persuasa vulpes ad eum vocandum, accessit. Sed canis, repente prosiliens, eam protinus correptam dilaceravit.
Perry #252