A Fox once dwelt in a cave of a certain mountain and, as often as a cub
was born to him and grew stout, he would eat the young one, for he had
died of hunger, had he instead of so doing left the cub alive and bred
it by his side and preserved and cherished his issue. Yet was this
very grievous to him. Now on the crest of the same mountain a crow had
made his nest, and the fox said to himself, "I have a mind to set up a
friendship with this crow and make a comrade of him, that he may help
me to my daily bread; for he can do in such matters what I cannot." So
he drew near the crow's home and, when he came within sound of speech,
he saluted him and said, "O my neighbour, verily a true-believer hath
two claims upon his true-believing neighbour, the right of
neighbourliness and the right of Al-Islam, our common faith; and know,
O my friend, that thou art my neighbour and thou hast a claim upon me
which it behoveth me to observe, the more that I have long been thy
neighbour. Also, there be implanted in my breast a store of love to
thee, which biddeth me speak thee fair and obligeth me to solicit thy
brothership. What sayest thou in reply?" Answered the crow, "Verily,
the truest speech is the best speech; and haply thou speakest with thy
tongue that which is not in thy heart; so I fear lest thy brotherhood
be only of the tongue, outward, and thy enmity be in the heart, inward;
for that thou art the Eater and I the Eaten, and faring apart were
apter to us than friendship and fellowship. What, then, maketh thee
seek that which thou mayst not gain and desire what may not be done,
seeing that I be of the bird-kind and thou be of the beast-kind?
Verily, this thy proffered brotherhood[FN#168] may not be made, neither
were it seemly to make it." Rejoined the fox, "Of a truth whoso knoweth
the abiding-place of excellent things, maketh better choice in what he
chooseth therefrom, so perchance he may advantage his brethren; and
indeed I should love to wone near thee and I have sued for thine
intimacy, to the end that we may help each other to our several
objects; and success shall surely wait upon our amity. I have a many
tales of the goodliness of true friendship, which I will relate to thee
if thou wish the relating." Answered the crow, "Thou hast my leave to
let me hear thy communication; so tell thy tale, and relate it to me
that I may hearken to it and weigh it and judge of thine intent
thereby." Rejoined the fox, "Hear then, O my friend, that which is
told of a flea and a mouse and which beareth out what I have said to
thee." Asked the crow, "How so?" and the fox answered:—They tell this
tale of