178. Cuniculus et Venator. Cuniculus, thymoque serpylloque pastus et satur, leve corpusculum variis motibus saliendo et cursitando agitabat cum, concitati sonipedis rapido impetu et equitis saevientis crebro verbere perterritus, antrum celeri fuga repetiit et in ultimam latebram se condidit trepidus. Postmodum, ubi pavor falsus tandem evanuit, ad pascua redit. Videns venatorem sensim accedere timido et suspenso pede, “Ab hoc homine,” inquit, “nil periculi mihi obiicitur; etenim placidus est et ipse videtur hunc meum occursum pertimescere, tamen non sum ulli valde formidabilis.” Dum misellus sic garrit et se decipit, homo ille placidus missili plumbo hunc necat. Saepius homines timent ubi omnia tuta sunt et, ubi timenda sunt omnia, se tutos putant. 
M0178 (not in Perry). Source: Desbillons 12.27 (adapted into prose). This fable is not in Perry’s catalog; it appears original to Desbillons, as he cites no source. For another animal with a false sense of confidence when confronted by a hunter, see the story of the dove and the archer, #524, or the story of the deer and the fawn, #154.
