A dog and a cock, having formed a partnership, were travelling together. When evening came, the cock went up into a tree to sleep, and the dog lay down at the foot of the tree, which was hollow. Now the cock, having crowed before daybreak as was his custom, a fox heard him, ran up, and, stopping at the foot of the tree, begged him to come down: for he longed to embrace a creature with such a fine voice. The cock told him first to wake the doorkeeper who was sleeping at the foot of the tree: he would come down when the doorkeeper had opened up. Then, as the fox was trying to speak to the doorkeeper, the dog leapt out suddenly and tore him to pieces.
Sensible people, when their enemies attack them, throw them off by directing them to stronger ones.
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