One day a Fox said to a Crab: "Crawling thing, did you ever run in all
your life?"
"Yes," said the Crab, "I run very often from the mud to the grass and
back to the river."
"Oh, shame!" said the Fox, "that is no distance to run. How many feet
and legs have you? I have only four. Why, if I had as many feet as
you have, I would run at least six times as fast as you do. Did you
know that you are really a very slow, stupid creature? Though I have
only four feet I run ten times as far as you do. I never heard of any
one with so many feet as you have, running so slowly."
The Crab said: "Would you like to run a race with a stupid creature
like me? I will try to run as fast as you. I know I am small, so
suppose we go to the scales and see how much heavier you are. As you
are ten times larger than I, of course you will have to run ten times
faster.
"Another reason why you can run so fast is because you have such a fine
tail and hold it so high. If you would allow me to put it down, I do
not think you would run any faster than I."
"Oh, very well," said the Fox, contemptuously, "do as you like, and
still the race will be so easy for me that I will not even need to try.
Your many legs and your stupid head do not go very well together. Now,
if I had my sense and all of your legs, no creature in the forest could
outrun me. As it is, there are none that can outwit me. I am known as
the sharp-witted. Even man says, 'Qui-kwat-wui-lai' (sly as a fox).
So do what you will, stupid one."
"If you will let me tie your beautiful tail down so it will stay," said
the Crab, "I am sure I can win the race."
"Oh, no, you cannot," said the Fox. "But I will prove to even your
stupid, slow brain that it will make no difference. Now, how do you
wish that I should hold my tail?"
Said the Crab: "If you will allow me to hang something on your tail to
hold it down, I am sure you cannot run faster than I."
"Do as you like," said the Fox.
"Allow me to come nearer," said the Crab, "and when I have it fastened
to your tail, I will say 'Ready!' Then you are to start."
So the Crab crawled behind and caught the Fox's tail with his pincers
and said, "Ready!" The Fox ran and ran until he was tired. And when he
stopped, there was the Crab beside him.
"Where are you now?" said the Crab. "I thought you were to run ten
times faster than I. You are not even ahead of me with all your
boasting."
The Fox, panting for breath, hung his head in shame and went away where
he might never see the crab again.
EE-SZE (Meaning): A big, proud, boastful mouth, is a worse thing for a
man than it is for a fox.