A peasant had a faithful horse which had grown old and could do no more work, so his master would no longer give him anything to eat and said, "I can certainly make no more use of thee, but still I mean well by thee; if thou provest thyself still strong enough to bring me a lion here, I will maintain thee, but now take thyself away out of my stable," and with that he chased him into the open country. The horse was sad, and went to the forest to seek a little protection there from the weather. Then the fox met him and said, "Why dost thou hang thy head so, and go about all alone?" - "Alas," replied the horse, "avarice and fidelity do not dwell together in one house. My master has forgotten what services I have performed for him for so many years, and because I can no longer plough well, he will give me no more food, and has driven me out." - "Without giving thee a chance?" asked the fox. "The chance was a bad one. He said, if I were still strong enough to bring him a lion, he would keep me, but he well knows that I cannot do that." The fox said, "I will help thee, just lay thyself down, stretch thyself out, as if thou wert dead, and do not stir." The horse did as the fox desired, and the fox went to the lion, who had his den not far off, and said, "A dead horse is lying outside there, just come with me, thou canst have a rich meal." The lion went with him, and when they were both standing by the horse the fox said, "After all, it is not very comfortable for thee here I tell thee what I will fasten it to thee by the tail, and then thou canst drag it into thy cave, and devour it in peace."
This advice pleased the lion: he lay down, and in order that the fox might tie the horse fast to him, he kept quite quiet. But the fox tied the lion's legs together with the horse's tail, and twisted and fastened all so well and so strongly that no strength could break it. When he had finished his work, he tapped the horse on the shoulder and said, "Pull, white horse, pull." Then up sprang the horse at once, and drew the lion away with him. The lion began to roar so that all the birds in the forest flew out in terror, but the horse let him roar, and drew him and dragged him over the country to his master's door. When the master saw the lion, he was of a better mind, and said to the horse, "Thou shalt stay with me and fare well," and he gave him plenty to eat until he died.
This advice pleased the lion: he lay down, and in order that the fox might tie the horse fast to him, he kept quite quiet. But the fox tied the lion's legs together with the horse's tail, and twisted and fastened all so well and so strongly that no strength could break it. When he had finished his work, he tapped the horse on the shoulder and said, "Pull, white horse, pull." Then up sprang the horse at once, and drew the lion away with him. The lion began to roar so that all the birds in the forest flew out in terror, but the horse let him roar, and drew him and dragged him over the country to his master's door. When the master saw the lion, he was of a better mind, and said to the horse, "Thou shalt stay with me and fare well," and he gave him plenty to eat until he died.
Der var engang en bonde, som havde en hest, der havde tjent ham tro. Nu var den imidlertid blevet gammel og kunne ikke mere gøre nytte, og han ville ikke længere give den føden. "Jeg har rigtignok ikke brug for dig," sagde han, men jeg mener det alligevel godt med dig, og hvis du er så stærk, at du kan bringe mig en løve, så skal jeg blive ved at sørge for dig." Derpå jog han hesten ud af stalden. Bedrøvet travede den over imod skoven, for at finde lidt læ der. På vejen mødte den ræven, som spurgte: "Hvorfor går du ganske alene om og hænger med hovedet?" - "Gerrighed og troskab kan ikke bo i samme hus," svarede hesten, "min herre har glemt, hvor tro jeg har tjent ham, og nu har han jaget mig væk, fordi han ikke under mig min smule føde."
"Sådan uden videre?" spurgte ræven. "Ja, han sagde jo nok, at hvis jeg var så stærk, at jeg kunne dræbe en løve, ville han beholde mig, men det ved han godt, at jeg ikke kan." - "Nu skal jeg hjælpe dig," sagde ræven, "læg dig nu blot ned og lad, som du er død." Hesten gjorde det, og ræven gik nu hen til løven, der havde sin hule lige i nærheden og sagde: "Der ligger en død hest lige udenfor. Kom med, så kan du få dig et godt foder." Løven fulgte den, og da de kom hen til hesten, sagde ræven: "Her er alligevel lidt ubekvemt. Det er meget bedre, at jeg binder den til dig med dens hale, så kan du slæbe den med og spise den hjemme i ro og mag."
Løven syntes, det var en god ide og stillede sig foran hesten, for at ræven skulle binde den fast. Men ræven snærrede dens ben så fast sammen med hestens hale, at det var umuligt for den at rive sig løs." Af sted, i galop," sagde den så og slog hesten på ryggen, og den sprang op og slæbte løven efter sig. Løven gav sig til at brøle, så alle de små fugle i skoven fløj op af angst, men hesten brød sig ikke om det, og slæbte den over markerne hjem til sin herre. Da han så den, kom han på bedre tanker og sagde: "Du skal blive hos mig og have det godt," og gav den så meget, den kunne æde, lige til den døde.