The Lion, the Ass, and the Fox

Three creatures—a Lion of great strength, an Ass of honest labors, and a Fox of cunning mind—formed a hunting partnership, agreeing to share equally in whatever prey they secured. Through their combined efforts, they killed a great stag in the forest. The Lion, preparing to divide the spoils, spoke thus: "Let me divide this prize into three equal portions, that each may receive his due share." With these words, the Lion tore the stag into three parts. The first portion was of considerable size and excellence, which he claimed for himself. The second portion was smaller and of lesser quality, which he offered to the Ass. The third portion, consisting merely of bones and offal, he presented to the Fox. The Ass, though troubled by this unjust division, spoke not in complaint, for he feared the Lion's wrath and the sharpness of his claws. But the Fox, possessed of greater cunning, said with honeyed words: "Noble Lion, surely your portion should be greater than ours, for you are the mightiest and most glorious among us. Your strength secured this prize! The remainder should be divided equally between the Ass and myself." The Lion, pleased at this flattery and seeing the wisdom in the Fox's reasoning, agreed. He tore the Ass's portion in half and gave the equal parts to both the Ass and the Fox. Yet the Fox, with cunning haste, took from the Ass's new portion a goodly share and placed it with his own, saying, "These additional scraps are properly mine, for I alone spoke truth and honored the Lion's superiority." Thus the Ass learned that those who do not advocate for justice receive the least, while the Lion learned that those who flatter their power receive the praise, not the virtue, of true distributive justice.