The Hare With Many Friends

A  hare  was  very  popular  with  the  other  beasts,  who  all  claimed  to  be  her  friends.  But  one  day  she  heard  the  hounds  approaching  and  hoped  to  escape  them  by  the  aid  of  her  many  friends.  So  she  went  to  the  horse  and  asked  him  to  carry  her  away  from  the  hounds  on  his  back,  but  he  declined,  stating  that  he  had  important  work  to  do  for  his  master,  her.  He  felt  sure,  he  said,  that  all  her  other  friends  would  come  to  her  assistance  when  all  her  other  friends  would  come  to  her  assistance.  She  then  applied  to  the  bull  and  hoped  that  he  would  repel  the  hounds  with  his  horns.

The  bull  replied,  I  am  very  sorry,  but  I  have  an  appointment  with  a  lady.  But  I  feel  sure  that  our  friend  the  goat  will  do  what  you  want.  The  goat,  however,  feared  that  his  back  might  do  her  some  harm  if  he  took  her  upon  it.  The  ram,  he  felt  sure,  was  the  proper  friend  to  apply  to,  so  she  went  to  the  ram  and  told  him  the  case.  The  ram  replied  another  time  my  dear  friend,  I  do  not  like  to  interfere  on  the  present  occasion,  as  hounds  have  been  known  to  eat  sheep  as  well  as  hares.

The  hare  then  applied  as  a  last  hope  to  the  calf,  who  regretted  that  he  was  unable  to  help  her,  as  he  did  not  like  to  take  the  responsibility  upon  himself,  as  so  many  older  persons  then  himself  had  declined  the  task.  By  this  time,  the  hounds  were  quite  near,  and  the  hare  took  to  her  heels  and  luckily  escaped.  He  that  has  many  friends  has  no  friends.