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The Dog, the Fox, and the Cat: A Fable

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(Matt Cashore/US Presswire)

Scholars claim that the earliest version of this fable comes from a sage coordinator of defense whose name has yet to be uncovered. Popular legend describes him as having intensely black hair, profoundly blue eyes, a taste for patient and crushing defense, and a penchant for telling wise tales.

A cat and a fox set out together to acquire an egg from a flock of chickens in a grassy field. They needed to eat, of course, and there was nothing cat and fox liked more than pilfering an egg to satisfy their hunger. These particular chickens were white as snow and had deep scarlet feet and cockscombs. They were a fierce flock (for chickens, that is), and for fun, they would often roll a newly laid egg around this field with their feet or otherwise pass it amongst one another.

Cat and fox (tail swinging behind him) took the field and ran towards the chickens at full speed, hoping to get to the egg before the chicken holding it could give it to another. Sure enough, that chicken scooped up the egg with one wing and flung it towards another further down the field just as cat and fox plowed into him.

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(Matt Cashore/US Presswire)

"Well, that didn't work at all," said cat as he mauled the chicken. "Don't worry," said fox; "anyway, our mouths are just too small to capture the egg when the chickens roll or fling it away from us, and we need all four paws to run and catch the chickens themselves. I invited dog to help us."

Just then, dog came bounding into the field right amongst the squawking chickens. As he plowed through the hapless birds, he came between the flying egg and the intended chicken receiver, and caught the thing easily with his mouth. Outdone by dog, feathers ruffled, the red and white chickens fled the field, their egg lost.

Cat and fox joined dog and the three shared their bounty. What cat and fox could not manage alone, they accomplished easily with dog.

"Next time," said cat, licking his chops, "we should invite werewolf."

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