The lion, king of the forest, was getting old. He couldn't run, couldn't catch a thing. His tummy growled and grumbled! So he hatched a plan. "I'll pretend to be sick. My dinner will walk into my cave on its own legs!"
The news flew through the whole forest — "The king is terribly ill!" "Let's go and see him," said the hare. "I'll bring fruit," said the squirrel. "And I'll bring honey," said the bear.
The hare went into the cave — and didn't come back. The squirrel went — she didn't come back either. Thump thump went the bear — and even he didn't return! And here was the odd thing: the "sick" king's roar got LOUDER every day.
Last of all came the fox. Right at the cave mouth, he stopped. He lowered his nose and sniffed — sniff, sniff! Footprints! Hare prints, bear prints, squirrel prints — aaall going in. And coming out? Not one.
From inside the cave came a honey-sweet voice. "Who's there? Brother Fox, is it? Come in, come in!" The fox took two steps BACK. "Plenty of prints going in, Your Majesty — not one coming out. So I'll say it from right here: get well soon!"
And off he raced! Through the whole forest he called at the top of his voice — "That cave has tracks going IN and none coming OUT! Stay away!" And the birds spread the warning from tree to tree.
And the crafty king? He sat in his cave and waited… and waited — but nobody ever came again. To this day the fox tells his little ones at dusk: "Look first, think next — then take your step!"