A farmer had a horse that had worked hard for him for many years. But now the horse was old and could not work anymore. The farmer did not want to feed him. He said, "I don’t need you. Leave my stable! I will only take you back if you prove you are stronger than a lion." Then he opened the door and forced the horse out.
The poor horse was very sad. He walked through the woods, looking for a place to hide from the wind and rain. Suddenly, a fox met him. "What’s wrong, my friend?" the fox asked. "Why do you look so lonely and sad?"
"Ah," the horse replied. "My master has forgotten all my hard work. Because I am old, he has turned me out. He says I can only return if I am stronger than a lion. He knows that is impossible!"
The fox told him to be happy. "I will help you. Lie down here, stay very still, and pretend to be dead."
The horse did what the fox said. Then the fox went to a lion’s cave nearby. He said to the lion, "There is a dead horse a short way from here. Come with me, and you can have a great meal."
The lion was very happy and went with the fox. When they reached the horse, the fox said, "It’s not comfortable to eat here. I will tie you to his tail, and then you can pull him to your cave and eat him there."
The lion liked this plan. He lay down so the fox could tie him to the horse. But the fox tied the lion’s legs together so tightly that the lion could not move. When he was finished, the fox hit the horse on the shoulder and shouted, "Go, Dobbin! Go!"
The horse jumped up and ran toward the farm, dragging the lion behind him. The lion roared loudly, and all the birds in the forest flew away in fear. But the horse did not stop until he reached his master’s house.
"Here he is, master!" said the horse. "I have defeated him."
When the farmer saw the old horse and the lion, he felt bad for being so mean. He said, "You can stay in your stable and I will take care of you." So the old horse had plenty to eat and lived happily for the rest of his life.