Aesop's Phrases

The Fox Knows many tricks but the hedgehog (or cat) one great one.

The Fox and the Cat. 38 by Jacobs.

A Fox was boasting to a Cat of its clever devices for escaping its enemies. "I have a whole bag of tricks," he said, "which contains a hundred ways of escaping my enemies." "I have only one," said the Cat; "but I can generally manage with that." Just at that moment they heard the cry of a pack of hounds coming towards them, and the Cat immediately scampered up a tree and hid herself in the boughs. "This is my plan," said the Cat. "What are you going to do?" The Fox thought first of one way, then of another, and while he was debating the hounds came nearer and nearer, and at last the Fox in his confusion was caught up by the hounds and soon killed by the huntsmen. Miss Puss, who had been looking on, said:

"Better one safe way than a hundred on which you cannot reckon."

Odo of Cheriton39=Pe605, Cax5.5, Laf9.14, CS87, TIM J1662, Type105, 105*
Goethe; Reineke Fuchs 10. cf. Renard the Fox; Branch 2."Tibert the Cat"
Grrim's tales KHM75

The cat in this fable is not a house cat, but a Lynx. In Europe, a cat wasn't made a pet, but a weasel was done.
Leonardo da Vinci; Lady with an Ermine http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/vinci/
This phrase "The Fox Knows many tricks but the hedgehog (or cat) one great one" is itself one in Ancient Greece, but this fable is based on the next Indian fable.


THE EARLY ENGLISH VERSIONS OF THE Gesta Romanorum.

(THE FABLE OF THE CAT AND THE FOX.)Addit. MS. 9066.

The foxe and the Catte mette onys to-gedgre. the foxe seide to the Catte, "how many wyles or sleightes haste thou, or knowes?" The Catte seide, "but oon alone." The foxe seide, "what is that?" The Catte seide, "when houndes folow me, I can renne vpon a tre, and so scape from hem." Then the catte askid the foxe, how many wiles or sleightes he had, or knewe? he saide, "I haue xviijen. and a bage full moo; therfore come with me, and I shall teche the my crafte; and when thou knowes hem, thou shalte wele scape the bytyng of the houndes." and they wentyn to-gedre. they herd hunters and houndes, folowyng hem at here back. The Catte seide, "I here houndes, and am aferde." then seide že foxe, "drede the not, thegh the houndes come nere." The catte [seide], "fore sothe I folowe no lengere the; I wil vse myn owne wile [correction; sic = wille]." and wente vp into a Tree, and so scaped the houndes. And the houndes folowdyn, and anone felle on the foxe, and tokyn hym. The catte sate on lofte, on the tree, and beheld what they didden to the foxe; and cried, "foxe! opyn thi bagge of wiles, and helpe thy selfe, for thou haddiste neuer more nede; for all thy wiles helpith the not!"


The Frog and two Fish. (Pancatantra 5.6 )

quotation from http://www.urday.com/fifthtantra2.htm

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Once upon a time, there lived two fishes in a pond. The name of one fish was Satbuddhi and of the other was Sahastrabuddhi. Both of them developed friendship with a frog whose name was Ekabuddhi. One day, some fishers arrived at the lake and became pleased to see the low level of water in the lake. They decided to come next day to catch the fish.

All the fishes and the frog became very terrified. The frog said to Shatabuddhi -

"Did you listen what the fishers were saying? What should we do now? Should we continue living here or should we go to some other lake?

Sahastrabuddhi laughed at the frog and said -

"We must not believe the fishers merely by what they said. They are not going to come. Even if they come I will protect you."

Shatabuddhi too had complete faith in Sahastrabuddhi's intelligence. She said -

"We must not be scared of gerulous people."

But the frog migrated to another lake along with his family. The next day, fishers did arrive and sprang their net and caught many fishes. Shatabuddhi and Sahastrabuddhi too were caught. Both of them tried their best but could not release themselves from the net.

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