326. Hircus et Umbra Eius. Lupus insequebatur hircum at ille subiit in rupem altam; lupus obsedit eum et, post triduum, cum lupus sustineret famem et hircus sitim, discesserunt utrique, lupus prior ut cibum caperet, hircus vero postea ut aquam potaret. Hircus, cum ad satietatem potasset, aspiciens umbram suam in aqua, dixit, “Quam pulchram barbam et quam magna cornua habeo, sed lupus me fugat. Ammodo ergo ei resistam!” Lupus autem, silenter, retro eum, auscultabat omnia verba haec. Infigens autem fortiter dentes in hirci coxam, dixit, “Quid hoc est quod loqueris, frater hirce?” Hircus autem, ut sensit se captum, ait, “O domine meus lupe, misericordiam peto. Agnosco culpam, quia hircus postquam potat, quod non debet parabolat.” Ast lupus non pepercit, sed vorat illum.
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SLIDESHOW of all the colored Steinhowel images. You can see both stages of the story here in a single frame: on the right, the goat is safe on top of the cliff, but then on the left you see the fatal results when the goat takes a drink and admires his long shadow!
M0326 = Perry695. Source: Steinhowel 5.6 (shortened). This is Perry 695. Compare the story about the wolf who is impressed with his own shadow, #90.
