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The Fox and the Tortoise
A Folktale from Western Nigeria
The Cock and the Tortoise were friends in the olden days; they were so close that the other animals craved for their friendship.
One day, a Fox came into the town.
At some point, he began to feed on every small animal in the town, but once he saw the Cock, he ran away, so the Cock went around town without fear, thereby becoming a prominent presence in the town.
Envy has the potential to turn friends into enemies. This was the case with the Tortoise, as he started investigating the Cock’s case. He inquired of the fox, “Why haven’t you attacked the Cock like the other animals?” “I would have loved to feed on the Cock, but I’m scared of the fire on his head, lest I get burnt,” the Fox answered. The Tortoise retorted, “Oh! I see. That comb on his head isn’t fire at all; it’s nothing but a delicious piece of meat.” “That’s not true,” said Fox doubtfully. “Tomorrow, I will show you what it is truly made of,” said the Tortoise.
Sure enough, on the following day, the Tortoise kept his promise by playing with the Cock’s comb while the Fox watched.
When the Fox saw this, he rushed towards the Cock and devoured it. Since then, Foxes have fed on Cocks.
The moral of the story is that we have more to fear from the enemy within than the enemy outside.
It was the Tortoise - the Cock’s friend - that gave him up to the Fox.
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