To curry favor with the wolf, the fox hosted a banquet to invite him. Faced with such unexpected courtesy, the wolf did not refuse and went to the feast.
The fox served a chicken stolen from a farmer's house and said with a flattering smile, "Brother Wolf, this is a delicacy I prepared especially for you. In this forest kingdom, you are the one I admire most. I hope we can set aside our past grievances. If we unite, there is nothing we cannot achieve."
Driven by greed, the wolf ignored the fox's words and began to devour the chicken. Watching the fox's hard-earned stolen chicken being eaten by the wolf, the fox gritted its teeth in resentment and cursed, "I hope that bone chokes you!"
The dramatic event actually happened: as the wolf swallowed the last piece of meat, a bone got stuck in its throat, making it unable to breathe. It twisted its body in pain, but the sharp bone only pierced deeper into its throat; even staying still offered no relief.
The wolf felt as if the bone had penetrated deep into its body, and a wave of anxiety washed over it. "What if the bone pierces my heart?" it whimpered. The fox, secretly pleased by the situation, said hypocritically, "What a predicament! However, I think the long-beaked crane might be able to help you."
The wolf found the crane and asked for help to remove the bone, promising a reward afterward. The crane agreed, had the wolf lie on the ground, and then stretched its long beak into the wolf's wide-open mouth, successfully retrieving the bone. When the crane asked for its reward, the wolf replied coldly, "Are you not satisfied just having escaped my mouth safely? And now you demand a reward?"
The moral of the story is that "burning bridges" is a fundamental trait of the wicked. Once we understand this nature, we must realize that after helping someone with ill intentions, seeking a reward may only lead to our own harm.
