A third happened along, and asked:—
"Which of you can read?"
"Neither of us."
"Then why do you want the book? Your quarrel reminds me of two bald men who fought for possession of a comb, when neither had any hair on his head."
XIII
THE WOLF AND THE FOX
A Wolf was running from the dogs, and wanted to hide in a cleft. But a Fox was lying in the cleft; she showed her teeth at the Wolf, and said:—
"You cannot come in here; this is my place."
The Wolf did not stop to dispute the matter, but merely said:—
"If the dogs were not so near, I would teach you whose place it is; but now the right is on your side."
XIV
THE PEASANT AND HIS HORSE
Some soldiers made a foray into hostile territory. A peasant ran out into the field where his horse was, and tried to catch it. But the horse would not come to the peasant.
And the peasant said to him:—
"Stupid, if you don't let me catch you, the enemy will carry you off."
The Horse asked:—
"What would the enemy do with me?"
The peasant replied:—
"Of course they would make you carry burdens."
And the Horse rejoined:—
"Well, don't I carry burdens for you? So then it is all the same to me whether I work for you or your enemies."
