Anoldwomanhadacat.Thecatwasveryold;shecouldnotrunquickly,andshecouldnotbite,becauseshewassoold.Onedaytheoldcatsawamouse;shejumpedandcaughtthemouse.Butshecouldnotbiteit;sothemousegotoutofhermouthandranaway,becausethecatcouldnotbiteit.
Thentheoldwomanbecameveryangrybecausethecathadnotkilledthemouse.Shebegantohitthecat.Thecatsaid,"Donothityouroldservant.Ihaveworkedforyouformanyyears,andIwouldworkforyoustill,butIamtooold.Donotbeunkindtotheold,butrememberwhatgoodworktheolddidwhentheywereyoung."
Thesecondtimehoweverhecamenearthelion.Hestoppedatasafedistanceandwatchedhimpassby.
Thethirdtimetheycamenearoneanother.Thefoxwentstraight11uptothelionandstayedthewholedaywithhim.Heaskedthelionhowhisfamilywasandwhentheywouldmeetagain.
Theysoonbecamegoodfriends.
Acrow,readytodiewiththirst,flewwithjoytoapitcherwhichhesawatadistance.Butwhenhecameuptoit,hefoundthewatersolowthatwithallhisstoopingandstraininghewasunabletoreachit.Thereuponhetriedtobreadthepitcher,thentooverturnit,seeingsomesmallpebblesathand,hedroppedagreatmanyofthem,onebyone,intothepitcher,andsoraisedthewatertothebrim,andquenchedhisthirst.