A Wolf had been gorging on 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
groaning and groaning and seeking for something to relieve the pain.
He tried to induce every one 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,
till at last it got it out.
"Will you kindly give me the reward you promised?" said
the Crane.
The Wolf grinned and 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."
Gratitude and greed go not together.
