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Aesop's Fables, translated by Laura Gibbs (2002)

117. THE WOLF AND THE SLEEPING DOG
Perry 134 (Chambry 184 *)

A dog was sleeping in front of the barn when a wolf noticed him lying there. The wolf was ready to devour the dog, but the dog begged the wolf to let him go for the time being. 'At the moment I am thin and scrawny,' said the dog, 'but my owners are about to celebrate a wedding, so if you let me go now, I'll get fattened up and you can make a meal of me later on.' The wolf trusted the dog and let him go. When he came back a few days later, he saw the dog sleeping on the roof. The wolf shouted to the dog, reminding him of their agreement, but the dog simply said, 'Wolf, if you ever catch me sleeping in front of the barn again, don't wait for a wedding!'
The same is true of intelligent people: when they escape from some threatening situation, they are on guard in the future.


Source: Aesop's Fables. A new translation by Laura Gibbs. Oxford University Press (World's Classics): Oxford, 2002.
NOTE: New cover, with new ISBN, published in 2008; contents of book unchanged.