See the Essays section for a profile of Joseph Du Bray (born ca. 1872).
There was once upon a time a wolf and a fox were travelling through a civilized country. The wolf was very proud and talked as though he was the only one that knew everything on this universe. He even told the fox that he could speak all kinds of languages.
The fox was very polite and gentle to him, but not in his heart; then the wolf put his confidence in him without delay. Thus they journeyed together very happily for three months, although the fox [was] thinking about how he could get the proud wolf into trouble all the way.
One day as they went through a beautiful forest country, they saw a mare and a colt by the highway. When the fox saw the beautiful colt he wished to have it for dinner. The fox said to the wolf, “Go and ask the mare how much she wants for her colt.” The wolf answered and said, “You better go yourself, because you are small, light, and you can run swiftly; you can escape from the owner if he should come.”
The fox went to the mare and said, “Hallo! Mare, you have a nice colt, how much do you want for him?” The mare answered and said, “Certainly I have a nice colt; if you wish to know the price, you must lift my hind leg and look into my foot.” The fox refused to do it and went back to the road where the wolf was waiting. The fox told the wolf all the words the mare said and also told him that he had seen the price mark in her hind foot, but could not make out on account of having no education and said, “You know how to talk and read different kinds of languages, so please go and see how much she wants for her colt. I am very hungry, aren’t you?” The wolf went and asked the same question which the fox asked.
The mare answered the question by saying, “You lift up my hind leg and you shall see how much I take for him.” So the wolf went to her and was about to raise her leg [when] the mare kicked him with both her feet and mash[ed] his nose. The fox laughed and mocked him and went on his way as happy as ever.
The poor wolf was left behind by his own friend, one who he put his confidence in.
Moral—Never think yourself better than others, and never put your confidence in a person because he is polite to you and smiles before your face. They are happy when trouble comes to you.1