Krilof and His Fables/The Squirrel in Service

A Squirrel once served a Lion: I know not how, or in what capacity. But this much is certain, that the Squirrel's service found favour in the Lion's eyes; and to satisfy the Lion is, certainly, no light affair. In return for this, it was promised a whole waggon-load of nuts. Promised—yes; but, meanwhile, time continues to fly by. Our Squirrel often suffers hunger, and has tears in its eyes while grinning in the Lion's presence. When it looks round in the forest, its former comrades show themselves here and there high up among the trees. It looks at them till its eyes begin to blink; but they keep on always cracking nuts. Our Squirrel ​takes a step towards the nut-bushes, looks at them—it can do no more. At one time it is called away, at another it is even dragged off, on the Lion's service.

But see! At last the Squirrel has grown old, and become tedious to the Lion. It is time for it to retire. They have granted the Squirrel its discharge, and they have actually given it the full load of nuts. Excellent nuts—such as the world has never seen before. All picked fruit—one as good as another; a perfect marvel: only one thing is unlucky—the Squirrel has long ago lost all its teeth.