"The Persian fox replied, 'I know twenty-six. How many do you know?'
"'I know only one,' said the Kurdish fox, 'but it is all I need.'
"They walked on together until the Persian fox saw a piece of meat and snapped at it. He found himself caught in a trap.
"'My brother!' he cried in distress, 'what can I do? Come and help me!'
"'Why do you want help?' said the Kurdish fox, 'use your twenty-six tricks.'
"'Really, my brother,' said the Persian fox, 'not a single one of them is of any use against this trap.'
"'Well, then,' said the Kurdish fox, 'I will tell you the one trick that I know. To-morrow the owner of the trap will come. You must pretend to be dead. I shall lie down near at hand, and also pretend to be dead. He'll take your foot out of the trap. You must still pretend to be dead. He'll see me; then he'll drop you and come to get me. Then you jump up and run, and I'll run, too. So we'll both be free.'
"So the one trick of the Kurdish fox was better than the twenty-six tricks of the Persian fox."
The next day Abbas Khan ordered all to be ready to ride out to meet Sheikh Tahar, who had promised to come down for a talk. Everyone was busy, seeing that the rifles were ready for use, the pistols loaded, and the saddle girths strong; the horses were given a good breakfast; in short, everything was put in order, for no one knew just what they might have to do,—talk, fight, or run away.
About noon all was ready, and they started. The cavalrymen amused themselves and kept up their courage by galloping in great circles.