Horace Elisha Scudder

The Lion and the Fox

A Lion that had grown old, and no longer had strength to forage for food, saw that he must get it by cunning. Well, he went into his den, and, creeping into a corner, pretended to be very sick, and so all the animals about came in to take a look at him, and as they came he snapped them up. Now, when a good many beasts had been caught in this way, the Fox, who suspected what his trick was, came along, and taking his stand outside the den, and a little way off, asked the Lion how he did. The Lion answered him, and asked him why he wouldn’t come down into the den. "So I would," said the Fox, "but I notice that all the foot-prints point into the den, and there are none pointing out."

So prudent men, discovering danger by signs, keep out of the way.