The Wolf and The Crane

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The Wolf and The Crane

When working for a tyrant, feel lucky to escape alive.

Eliot/Jacobs Version

A Wolf was eating an animal he had killed, when suddenly a small bone in the meat stuck in his throat and he could not swallow it. He soon felt terrible pain in his throat, and ran up and down seeking something to relieve the pain. He tried to induce everyone he met to remove the bone. "I would give anything," said he, "if you would take it out."

At last the Crane agreed to try, and told the Wolf to lie on his side and open his jaws as wide as he could. Then the Crane put its long neck down the Wolf's throat, and with its beak loosened the bone and removed it.

"Will you kindly give me the reward you promised?" said the Crane.

The Wolf grinned, showed his teeth and said: "Be content. You have put your head inside a Wolf's mouth and taken it out again in safety; that ought to be reward enough for you."

Townsend version

A Wolf who had a bone stuck in his throat hired a Crane, for a large sum, to put her head into his mouth and draw out the bone. When the Crane had extracted the bone and demanded the promised payment, the Wolf, grinning and grinding his teeth, exclaimed: "Why, you have surely already had a sufficient recompense, in having been permitted to draw out your head in safety from the mouth and jaws of a wolf."

Moral

In serving the wicked, expect no reward, and be thankful if you escape injury for your pains.

L'Estrange version

A wolf had got a bone in's throat, and could think of no better instrument to ease him of it, than the bill of a crane; so he went and treated with a crane to help him out with it, upon condition of a very considerable reward for his pains. The crane did him the good office, and then claim'd his promise. Why how now, impudence! (says t'other) do you put your head into the mouth of a wolf, and then, when y'ave brought it out again safe and sound, do you talk of a reward? Why sirrah, you have your head again, and is not that a sufficient recommence?

Moral

One good turn, they say, requires another: but yet he that has to do with wild beasts (as some men are no better) and comes or with a whole skin, let him expect no other reward.

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