Fox Evil

The Lion, the Fox, and the Ass

The Lion, the Fox, and the Ass entered into an agreement to assist each other in the chase. Having secured a large booty, the Lion on their return from the forest asked the Ass to allot his due portion to each of the three partners in the treaty. The Ass carefully divided the spoils into three equal shares and modestly requested the two others to make the first choice. The Lion, bursting into a great rage, devoured the Ass. Then he requested the Fox to do him the favor of making the division. The Fox accumulated all that they had killed into one large heap and left to himself the smallest possible morsel. The Lion said, "Who has taught you, my excellent fellow, the art of division? You are perfect to a fraction." He replied, "I learned it from the Ass, by witnessing his fate." Happy is the man who learns from the misfortunes of others. -Aesop

fox evil, "a disease in which the hair falls off" (1842 Johnson Farmer's Encycl.), alopecia -Oxford English Dictionary, 2002

alopecia areata-baldness occuring in patches on the scalp, possibly caused by a nervous disturbance. (Gr. alopekia, fox-mange, a bald spot, alopekoeides, fox-like-alopex, fox) -Chambers English Dictionary