The shrewd man, as soon as he runs into danger, tries to find escape at the
expense of others.
The fox had carelessly fallen into a well and was held captive there,
because the bank was quite high. A thirsty goat happened to be in the same place and immediately asked her if the water was fresh and plentiful. That one, deceivingly said, "Come down, my friend; the water is so good that I can't get my fill of it with my pleasure." And the big bearded one went down.
Then the little fox pointed to his high horns and went out of the well, leaving the goat mired at the bottom, with no way out.
[ Homo in periclum simul ac venit callidus,
Reperire effugium quaerit alterius malo.
Cum decidisset vulpes in puteum inscia
Et altiore clauderetur margine,
Devenit hircus sitiens in eundem locum;
Simul rogavit esset an dulcis liquor
Et copiosus. Illa fraudem moliens:
«Descende, amice; tanta bonitas est aquae,
Voluptas ut satiari non possit mea».
Immisit se barbatus. Tum vulpecula
Evasit puteo nixa celsis cornibus,
Hircumque clauso liquit haerentem vado. ]
expense of others.
The fox had carelessly fallen into a well and was held captive there,
because the bank was quite high. A thirsty goat happened to be in the same place and immediately asked her if the water was fresh and plentiful. That one, deceivingly said, "Come down, my friend; the water is so good that I can't get my fill of it with my pleasure." And the big bearded one went down.
Then the little fox pointed to his high horns and went out of the well, leaving the goat mired at the bottom, with no way out.
[ Homo in periclum simul ac venit callidus,
Reperire effugium quaerit alterius malo.
Cum decidisset vulpes in puteum inscia
Et altiore clauderetur margine,
Devenit hircus sitiens in eundem locum;
Simul rogavit esset an dulcis liquor
Et copiosus. Illa fraudem moliens:
«Descende, amice; tanta bonitas est aquae,
Voluptas ut satiari non possit mea».
Immisit se barbatus. Tum vulpecula
Evasit puteo nixa celsis cornibus,
Hircumque clauso liquit haerentem vado. ]
