Wise Division

One day a lion, an ass and a fox went hunting together. They agreed that whatever they caught would be shared between them. After killing a large stag, they decided to make a hearty meal of him.

The lion asked the ass to divide the spoils. The ass made three equal parts and told his friends to take their pick. On hearing this the lion, in great indignation seized the ass and tore him to pieces.

He then told the fox to divide the dead stag amongst themselves. The fox gathered everything together into one great pile and reserved a tiny portion for himself.

“Ah, friend,” said the lion, “Who taught you to divide things so equally?”

“I needed no other lesson,” replied the fox, “Than the ass’s fate.”

Better to learn from the mistakes of others than commit your own.