51. Vulpes Mortem Simulans et Agricola. Vulpes callida in fundum quemdam noctu venit. Ibi multos pullos et gallinas devoravit. Tum autem eadem rima, qua inierat, reverti non poterat. Prima luce agricola fundum circumire coepit. Multas gallinas, quas nocte priore viderat, reperire non potest. Mox autem vulpem aspexit, quae humi quasi mortua iacebat. Itaque caudam vulpis arripit; deinde animal super murum deicit. Vulpes autem simul ac humum attigit, sine mora prosiluit. Et priusquam agricola se receperat, callidum animal in tutum pervenit.
Image Source:
Medieval illustration of fox playing dead. The fox was famous for supposedly playing dead in order to lure birds, as you can see here, although this strategy has other advantages, as the fable shows.
M0051 (not in Perry). Source: Spencer 39. This fable is not in Perry’s catalog. For another story about the fox playing dead, see #439. For the cat playing dead, see #203.
