A fox was boasting to a cat of its clever devices for escaping its
enemies. "I have a whole bag of tricks," he said, "which contains a
hundred ways of escaping my enemies."
"I have only one," said the cat, "but I can generally manage with that."
Just at that moment they heard the cry of a pack of hounds coming toward
them, and the cat immediately scampered up a tree and hid himself in the
boughs. "This is my plan," said the cat. "What are you going to do?"
The fox thought first of one way, then of another, and while he was
debating, the hounds came nearer, and at last the fox in his confusion
was caught up by the hounds and soon killed by the huntsmen.
_Better one carefully thought out plan of action than a hundred untried
ideas._
[Illustration: THE FOX AND THE GRAPES]
[Illustration: THE FOX AND THE CAT]
[Illustration: THE FOX AND THE RAVEN]
[Illustration: THE FOX AND THE CRANE]