The fox said - "Once I entered a vineyard to eat its grapes, that I saw a falcon over a partridge, seizing him. But the partridge escaped from his grip. The falcon followed him and called out to him - "I saw you hungry and took pity on you, so I picked some grains for you and took hold of you, so that you can eat, but you fled from me. I don't know the reason of your fleeing away. Come out, and take these grains I have brought them only for you to eat. They will improve your health." When the partridge heard this he believed him and came out. At this the falcon struck his feathers into him and seized him. The partridge said - "You lied to me. May Allaah make my meat you eat, should become poison to you." So when the falcon ate the partridge, his feathers fell, he got weak and died at the spot."

The fox continued - "So O wolf, Who digs a pit for his brother, soon falls into it. You deceived me first." The wolf said - "Don't tell me all these stories, do not remind me my ill actions, pity me like a true friend. A real friend is better than a real brother. If you will save me today, I will teach you rare tricks - how to open vineyards and pluck the fruits from the trees, etc etc." The fox said - "These talks look strange from an ignorant like you." "What do the wise men say?"

The fox said  "The wise men say that the gross of body is gross of mind, far from intelligence and thus ignorance. How can I be your true friend considering your ill behavior? I count you as my enemy who is rejoicing in your troubles. You say that you will teach me tricks, you first use your tricks to get out from here. You are like a sick man who is saying to another sick man, "Shall I treat you?" The other sick man said "Why don't you treat first yourself?" At this the first one went away. So stay where you are."

The wolf understood that he can't get help from the fox, so he started weeping, and said to himself - "If I will be out of here, I will surely repent for my ill actions towards those who are weaker than me. I will go to mountains and pray to Allaah. I will not live with wild beasts and I will feed the poor."

Hearing this the fox got pity on him, filled with joy, he stood on his hind legs and let his tail hang in the pit. The wolf arose, pulled the fox's tail so that the fox also fell in the pit. Then said the wolf - "Why were you enjoying in my misery? Now you have come with me, the death in company is the best of things. I will kill you now first before you kill me." The fox said - "Do not kill me, you will not be benefited by that and we both will die here." The wolf asked - "What is your plan now to get out of here?"

The fox said - "When I heard your promises, I took pity on you and gave my tail to grasp and come up, but you did not leave your habit. Now only one thing can save us, if you accept it." "What is that?" Fox said - "You stand at you full height, till I come near the level of the earth. Then I will spring and reach the ground, and when I am out of the pit, I will bring you out what you may lay hold of." The wolf said - "I have no faith in you." The fox asked - "Then do you have any other device to come out of this pit? If not, then do not distrust me. You have to trust me for one of the two things - either I shall bring somebody to take you out, or I will leave you here to die. "Faith is fair and faithlessness is foul." - That is why trust me." The wolf said - "OK, I accept your proposal, but if you deceive me, you will get destroyed." 

Then the wolf stood upright, took the fox on his shoulders, raised him to the ground level, and fox took a leap from his shoulders and came out of the pit. The wolf cried - "Do not forget me." The fox said - "I have done my job to save you by letting down my tail but you pulled me down. Now what?" Hearing this the wolf bit his forehand and said to the fox - "If you will take me out, I will reward you fairly." The fox said - "By your this promise of reward, I recollect a story of a snake who was running. Seeing him running, a man asked him- "Why are you running so fast?" The snake said - "I am running from a snake charmer who wants to trap me. If you will save me, I will reward you fairly." The man took her and kept her in his breast pocket. When the serpent had passed, the serpent had no fear, so the man said - "Where is my reward you promised me?" She said - "Tell me in which part of your limb should I should bite you?" and so saying she bit him and he instantly died."

Then the fox climbed a hill and gave a loud cry to wake the caretakers of the vineyard. They woke up and came quickly to find a wolf in the pit. The fox had already run away seeing them coming. They hit him with stones and sticks, until they killed him. Then they went away. The fox returned, wagged his tail in joy and lived there alone till his death.

End of Story No 57