Once upon a time, in a village on the edge of a great forest, there lived a fox and a wolf. They were not exactly friends, but sometimes they travelled together. You see, the fox was clever, but not very strong. The wolf was strong, but not very clever. And so, they often used each other’s company to get what they wanted, especially food.

The wolf was much bigger, and he often bullied the fox. “Go and find me something to eat,” the wolf growled. “Or else I shall make you my supper instead!”

The fox twitched his whiskers nervously. He did not like being threatened, but he knew better than to argue. “Very well,” he said slyly. “Follow me, and you shall see how clever I am.”

One evening, the fox led the wolf to a farm at the edge of the village. The smell of smoked sausages, hams, and freshly baked bread drifted from the farmer’s storeroom. The wolf’s mouth watered, and his stomach gave a loud grumble!

“This way,” whispered the fox. He showed the wolf a small hole in the wall, just big enough for a slim animal to slip through. The fox wriggled inside, his tail flicking as he disappeared.

The wolf licked his lips and waited. Soon, the fox returned, dragging sausages around his neck and balancing a loaf of bread on his back. “Quick! Eat these before anyone comes,” he said.

The wolf gobbled them down so fast that crumbs flew everywhere. “More!” he demanded.

The fox sighed but went back through the hole. This time he carried out cakes, cheese, and a fat lamb chop. The wolf devoured them all, his belly growing rounder with each bite.

“More!” the wolf growled again, his eyes gleaming greedily.

The fox darted in and out, bringing him food each time. But the wolf never shared, never thanked him, never thought of anything except his own hungry stomach. Finally, the fox said, “If you want more, perhaps you should come in yourself.”

The wolf snorted. “Yes! Why should you have all the fun?” He shoved his snout into the hole and wriggled through. With great effort, he managed to squeeze inside the storeroom. His eyes shone at the sight of meats and breads stacked high. Without waiting, he stuffed himself with everything he could reach.

But there was one problem. The more he ate, the rounder his belly became. By the time he tried to crawl back through the hole, he was stuck fast. His legs kicked helplessly, his tail wagged in panic, but no amount of pushing or pulling would get him free.

The fox, who was slim and quick, slipped through the hole with ease. He chuckled. “Ah, my greedy friend. You’ve eaten yourself into trouble.”

At that very moment, the farmer came into the storeroom with a stick in hand. He had heard the noises and suspected mischief. When he saw the wolf wedged in the hole, half inside and half out, he burst out laughing. Then, whack, whack, whack, he gave the wolf a good beating.

The fox darted away into the shadows, grinning. “That will teach him,” he thought, “to think with his stomach instead of his head.”

At last, the wolf managed to scramble free, bruised and sore. He glared at the fox. “This is your fault!” he growled.

But the fox only flicked his tail and said, “No, my friend. It is your greed that trapped you. If you had known when to stop, you would have escaped as easily as I did.”

And from that day on, the wolf was wary of following the fox into narrow places, and he never trusted his belly more than his wits again.

The End.

Moral: greed can trap you faster than any cage.