Once in a very thick forest in Sudan, there lived a lion, a wolf and a fox. The lion, of course, was king of the forest. The wolf and the fox were his advisors. The three were always together, the fox and the wolf always ready and prepared to discuss all matters with the king.

The three walked through the forest together. They sat in the shade together and drank form the same river. They hunted together, but when it came time to eat, the lion ate first. His two friends waited patiently till he was done with the meal, and then they feasted on the remains. Sometimes, if the animal was big enough, they all gathered around together.
Then one day, a great fire blazed and destroyed much of the forest, and the animals fled for their lives. The lion, the wolf and the fox did not want to leave their home and remained in the forest, but soon they began to get very hungry. Day after day they searched for food, but their hunt was in vain. There was not a meal in sight.

On their wanderings one day, they were thrilled to come upon a zebra, a gazelle and a rabbit sleeping soundly near each other at the far edge of the forest. The lion, the wolf and the fox could hardly believe their eyes. The lion ordered his ministers to remain hidden as he sprang on the unsuspecting prey, and killed all three animals with one blow.
With such a great feast ready to be devoured, the king asked each of his ministers in turn how they thought the meal should be divided.

The wolf said, “Your Majesty, of course, will get the zebra. It is the biggest of the three animals, and you are the biggest of us and deserve the best meal. The fox will get the rabbit, because both he and the rabbit are so small, and I will get the antelope.”

The wolf was pleased with his own advice, and smiled broadly thinking that he would finally eat.

The lion, having gone hungry for such a long time, was in no mood to share. He struck the wolf with his paw and sent him flying into a river.

Then the lion then turned to the fox and said: “Divide these animals!”

The fox , who was horrified to see his friend the wolf dismissed so forcefully, began to shake with anxiety and replied: “The zebra is for your Majesty’s breakfast, the antelope is for your Majesty’s lunch and the rabbit is for your Majesty’s supper.”

The lion roared with pleasure and said, “Where did you learn such wisdom, my small friend?”

The fox replied: “I learned it when I saw the wolf’s reward for his advice.”