Of the foxe / and of the lyon

4.12. De leone et vulpibus
Caxton: Of the foxe / and of the lyon
Fayre doctryne taketh he in hym self / that chastyseth hym by the perylle of other / As to vs reherceth this present fable / Of a lyon whiche somtyme faygned hym self seke / And whanne the beestes knewe that the lyon was seke / they wold goo alle to vysyte and see hym as theyre kynge / And Incontynent as the beestes entryd in to his hows for to see and comforte hym / he deuoured and ete them / And whan the foxes were come to the yate for to haue vysyted the lyon / they knewe wel the fallace and falshede of the lyon and salewed hym at the entre of the yate / And entryd not within / And whan the lyon sawe that they wold not entre in to his hows / he demaunded of them / why they wold not come within / And one of the foxes sayd to hym / we knowe wel by thy traces / that alle the beestes whiche haue entryd in to thy hows came not oute ageyne / And also yf we entryd within / nomore shold we come ageyne /
And therfore he is wel happy that taketh ensample by the dommage of other / For to entre in to the hows of a grete lord / it is wel facyle but for to come oute of hit ageyne it is moche dyffycyle /
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The Aged Lion and the Fox

133. THE AGED LION AND THE FOX. You will find the fable in English on this page; scroll to see if there are multiple English versions. [more info]

The Fox and the Sick Lion

142. THE FOX AND THE SICK LION. It was reported that the lion was sick, and the beasts were made to believe that they could not make their, court better than by going to visit him. Upon this they generally went, but it was particularly taken notice of that the fox was not one of the number. The lion therefore despatched one of his jackals to sound him about it, and ask him why he had so little charity and respect as never to come near him at a time when he lay so dangerously ill, and everybody else had been to see him.
“Why,” replies the fox, “pray present my duty to his majesty, and tell him that I have the same respect for him as ever, and have been coming several times to kiss his royal hand; but I am so terribly frightened at the mouth of his cave, to see the print of my fellow-subjects’ feet all pointing forwards and none backwards, that I have not resolution enough to venture in.”
Now the truth of the matter was, that this sickness of the lion’s was only a sham to draw the beasts into his den, the more easily to devour them. [more info]

The Fox and the Sick Lion

051. THE FOX AND THE SICK LION. It was reported that the lion was sick, and the beasts were made to believe that they could not make their, court better than by going to visit him. Upon this they generally went, but it was particularly taken notice of that the fox was not one of the number. The lion therefore despatched one of his jackals to sound him about it, and ask him why he had so little charity and respect as never to come near him at a time when he lay so dangerously ill, and everybody else had been to see him.
“Why,” replies the fox, “pray present my duty to his majesty, and tell him that I have the same respect for him as ever, and have been coming several times to kiss his royal hand; but I am so terribly frightened at the mouth of his cave, to see the print of my fellow-subjects’ feet all pointing forwards and none backwards, that I have not resolution enough to venture in.”
Now the truth of the matter was, that this sickness of the lion’s was only a sham to draw the beasts into his den, the more easily to devour them. [more info]

The Sick Lion and the Fox

06.14: THE SICK LION AND THE FOX.
Sick in his den, we understand,
The king of beasts sent out command
That of his vassals every sort
Should send some deputies to court—
With promise well to treat
Each deputy and suite;
On faith of lion, duly written,
None should be scratch'd, much less be bitten.
The royal will was executed,
And some from every tribe deputed;
The foxes, only, would not come.
One thus explain'd their choice of home:—
'Of those who seek the court, we learn,
The tracks upon the sand
Have one direction, and
Not one betokens a return.
This fact begetting some distrust,
His majesty at present must
Excuse us from his great levee.
His plighted word is good, no doubt;
But while how beasts get in we see,
We do not see how they get out.'
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The Lion, The Fox, and the Beasts

73. THE LION, THE FOX, AND THE BEASTS. The Lion once gave out that he was sick unto death and summoned the animals to come and hear his last Will and Testament. So the Goat came to the Lion's cave, and stopped there listening for a long time. Then a Sheep went in, and before she came out a Calf came up to receive the last wishes of the Lord of the Beasts.
But soon the Lion seemed to recover, and came to the mouth of his cave, and saw the Fox, who had been waiting outside for some time. "Why do you not come to pay your respects to me?" said the Lion to the Fox.
"I beg your Majesty's pardon," said the Fox, "but I noticed the track of the animals that have already come to you; and while I see many hoof-marks going in, I see none coming out. Till the animals that have entered your cave come out again I prefer to remain in the open air."
It is easier to get into the enemy's toils than out again. [more info]

The Lion and the Fox

13. THE LION AND THE FOX.
A Lion that had grown too weak
With age to leave his den to seek
For food, foreseeing now that he
Must get his meals by strategy,
Lay down, pretending to be sick.
The beasts, not dreaming 'twas a trick,
And thinking one so near his end
No harm could possibly intend,
Flocked to condole, alas! to learn
The truth too late, as each in turn
Was gobbled up. The Fox, less prone
To trust appearances, alone
Saw through the trick and stayed outside.
"Come in, I beg," the Lion cried.
"Thanks," said the Fox, "but I prefer
To stay without. I notice, Sir,
That all the footprints hereabout
Go toward your den, and none come out!" [more info]

The Lion and the Fox

29. THE LION AND THE FOX. A Lion that had grown old, and had no more strength to forage for food, saw that he must get it by cunning. He went into his den and crept into a corner, and made believe that he was very sick.
All the animals about came in to take a look at him, and as they came, he snapped them up. When a good many beasts had been caught in this way, the Fox, who guessed his trick, came along. He took his stand a little way from the den, and asked the Lion how he did.
The Lion said he was very sick, and begged him to come into the den to see him.
"So I would," said the Fox, "but I notice that all the footprints point into the den, and none point out." [more info]

The Ass and the Sick Lion

66. THE ASS AND THE SICK LION.
Crafty Lion, perhaps with the gout,
Kept his cave; where, to solve any doubt,
Many visitors go:
But the Ass, he said "No!"
They go in, but I've seen none come out."
REASON FROM RESULTS
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The Sick Lyon

051. THE SICK LYON. You will find the fable in English on this page; scroll down to see if there are multiple English versions. [more info]

The Old Lion and the Fox

THE OLD LION AND THE FOX. An old Lion, whose teeth and claws were so worn that it was not so easy for him to get food as in his younger days, pretended that he was sick. He took care to let all his neighbors know about it, and then lay down in his cave to wait for visitors. And when they came to offer him their sympathy, he ate them up one by one.
The Fox came too, but he was very cautious about it. Standing at a safe distance from the cave, he inquired politely after the Lion's health. The Lion replied that he was very ill indeed, and asked the Fox to step in for a moment. But Master Fox very wisely stayed outside, thanking the Lion very kindly for the invitation.
"I should be glad to do as you ask," he added, "but I have noticed that there are many footprints leading into your cave and none coming out. Pray tell me, how do your visitors find their way out again?"
Take warning from the misfortunes of others. [more info]