The Seven-Witted Fox and the One-Witted Owl

One day the owl met a fox, and the latter bragged about his intelligence and cleverness, and said that
he was very cunning and slim.

The owl asked him, "Brother mine, how many minds (wits) have you?"

"Seven," he said, boastingly.

"No wonder you are so clever. I have only one," said the owl.

A short time afterwards the owl again met the fox, but this time he was running for his life. The hunters
were after him, and the hounds were trying to catch him. Running as fast as his legs could carry him, he
at last managed to slip into a hole.

The owl followed him, and seeing him there, exhausted, asked him, "How many minds (wits) have you?"

And he replied, "Six. I have lost one by the chase."

Meanwhile the hunters and dogs came nearer and nearer, so they could hear the baying of the dogs.
The fox did not know what to do.

The owl asked him, "How many minds (wits) have you now, old fellow?"

"Oh, I have lost all my minds (wits). I have none left."

"Where is your cunning of which you bragged?"

"It is not kind of you, now, to go for a poor fellow when the dogs are at his heels, and there is no escape
for him."

"Well," said the owl, "I have but one mind (wit), and I will see whether I cannot save you with my one
wit. It is my turn. I am going to lie down here at the entrance as though dead. When the hunters come,
they will see me and get hold of me and talk about me. Meanwhile they will forget you, and in the midst
of the trouble, you just dash out and run for your life."

It happened just as the owl had said.

No sooner did the hunters come up and find the owl than they said, "What is this ugly bird doing here?
And a dead one to boot."

And whilst they were busy with the owl, trying to get hold of it to throw it away, off went the fox
through them and escaped.

Soon afterwards the owl met him again, and she said, "How have your seven minds (wits) helped you
when in time of danger? It is like that with people who have too much. They often have nothing when
they want it most, but you see, I had only one mind (wit), but a strong one and not a dissolute one like
yours, and that saved both you and me."
The Town Mouse and the Field Mouse
A mouse living in the town one day met a mouse which lived in the field. "Where do you come from?"
asked the latter when she saw the town mouse.

"I come from yonder town," replied the first mouse.

"How is life going there with you?"

"Very well, indeed. I am living in the lap of luxury. Whatever I want of sweets or any other good things is
to be found in abundance in my master's house. But how are you living?"

"I have nothing to complain of. You just come and see my stores. I have grain and nuts, and all the fruits
of the tree and field in my storehouse."

The town mouse did not quite believe the story of her new friend, and, driven by curiosity, went with
her to the latter's house. How great was her surprise when she found that the field mouse had spoken
the truth; her garner was full of nuts and grain and other stores, and her mouth watered when she saw
all the riches which were stored up there.

Then she turned to the field mouse and said, "Oh, yes, you have here a nice snug place and something
to live upon, but you should come to my house and see what I have there. Your stock is as nothing
compared with the riches which are mine."

The field mouse, who was rather simple by nature and trusted her new friend, went with her into the
town to see what better things the other could have. She had never been into the town and did not
know what her friend could mean when she boasted of her greater riches. So they went together, and
the town mouse took her friend to her master's house. He was a grocer, and there were boxes and
sacks full of every good thing the heart of a mouse could desire. When she saw all these riches, the field
mouse said she could never have believed it, had she not seen it with her own eyes.

While they were talking together, who should come in but the cat. As soon as the town mouse saw the
cat, she slipped quietly behind a box and hid herself. Her friend, who had never yet seen a cat, turned to
her and asked her who that gentleman was who had come in so quietly.

"Do you not know who he is? Why, he is our priest, and he has come to see me. You must go and pay
your respects to him and kiss his hand. See what a beautiful glossy coat he has on, and how his eyes
sparkle, and how demurely he keeps his hands in the sleeves of his coat."

Not suspecting anything, the field mouse did as she was told and went up to the cat. He gave her at
once his blessing, and the mouse had no need of another after that. The cat gave her extreme unction
there and then. That was just what the town mouse had intended. When she saw how well stored the
home of the field mouse was, she made up her mind to trap her and to kill her, so that she might take
possession of all that the field mouse had gathered up. She had learned the ways of the townspeople
and had acted accordingly.