And pluck the fruits or，if out of reach，Why，cram thy maw with the grass on plain.'
Then said the fox to the wolf，'Hasten not to slay me，for that is not the way to pay me and thou wouldst repent it，O thou valiant wild beast，lord of force and exceeding prowess！ An thou accord delay and consider what I shall say，thou wilt ken what purpose I proposed；but if thou hasten to kill me it will profit thee naught and we shall both die in this very place.'Answered the wolf 'O thou wily trickster，what garreth thee hope to work my deliverance and thine own，that thou prayest me to grant thee delay？ Speak and propound to me thy purpose.'Replied the fox，'As for the purpose I proposed，it was one which deserveth that thou guerdon me handsomely for it；for when I heard thy promises and thy confessions of thy past misdeeds and regrets for not having earlier repented and done good；and when I heard thee vowing，shouldst thou escape from this strait，to leave harming thy fellows and others；forswear the eating of grapes and of all manner fruits；devote thyself to humility；cut thy claws and break thy dogteeth；don woollens and offer thyself as an offering to Almighty Allah，then indeed I had pity upon thee，for true words are the best words. And although before I had been anxious for thy destruction，whenas I heard thy repenting and thy vows of amending should Allah vouchsafe to save thee，I felt bound to free thee from this thy present plight. So I let down my tail，that thou mightest grasp it and be saved. Yet wouldest thou not quit thy wonted violence and habit of brutality；nor soughtest thou to save thyself by fair means，but thou gavest me a tug which I thought would sever body from soul，so that thou and I are fallen into the same place of distress and death. And now there is but one thing can save us and，if thou accept it of me，we shall both escape；and after it behoveth thee to fulfil the vows thou hast made and I will be thy veritable friend.'