Question
A peasant once had a faithful horse, but it had grown old and could no longer do its work. Its master begrudged it food, and said: "I can't use you anymore, but I still feel kindly towards you, and if you show yourself strong enough to bring me a lion I will keep you to the end of your days. But away with you now, out of my stable"; and he drove it out into the open country.
(2) The poor horse was very sad, and went into the forest to get a little shelter from the wind and weather. There he met a fox, who said: "Why do you hang your head, and wander about in this solitary fashion?"
(3) "Alas!" answered the horse. "Avarice and honesty cannot live together. My master has forgotten all the service I have done him for these many years, and because I can no longer plough he will no longer feed me, and he has driven me away."
(4) "Without any consideration?" asked the fox.
(5) "Only the poor consolation of telling me that if I was strong enough to bring him a lion he would keep me, but he knows well enough that the task is beyond me."
(6) The fox said, "But I will help you. Just you lie down here, and stretch your legs out as if you were dead." The horse did as he was told, and the fox went to the lion's den, not far off, and said: "There is a dead horse out there. Come along with me, and you will have a rare meal." The lion went with him, and when they got up to the horse, the fox said, "You can't eat it in comfort here. I'll tell you what. I will tie it to you, and you can drag it away to your den and enjoy it at your leisure."
(7) The plan pleased the lion, and he stood quite still, close to the horse, so that the fox should fasten them together. But the fox tied the lion's legs together with the horse's tail and twisted and knotted it so that it would be quite impossible for it to come undone.
(8) When he had finished his work he patted the horse on the shoulder and said: "Pull, old grey! Pull!"
(9) Then the horse sprang up and dragged the lion away behind him. The lion in his rage roared so that all the birds in the forest were terrified and flew away. But the horse let him roar and never stopped till he stood before his master's door.
(10) When the master saw him he was delighted and said to him: "You shall stay with me and have a good time as long as you live."
(11) And he fed him well till he died.
"The Fox and the Horse"—Public Domain
1
Beginning after paragraph 9, write an alternate ending to the folktale using details about the characters and events from the passage. You may choose to use dialogue in your new ending.
(2) The poor horse was very sad, and went into the forest to get a little shelter from the wind and weather. There he met a fox, who said: "Why do you hang your head, and wander about in this solitary fashion?"
(3) "Alas!" answered the horse. "Avarice and honesty cannot live together. My master has forgotten all the service I have done him for these many years, and because I can no longer plough he will no longer feed me, and he has driven me away."
(4) "Without any consideration?" asked the fox.
(5) "Only the poor consolation of telling me that if I was strong enough to bring him a lion he would keep me, but he knows well enough that the task is beyond me."
(6) The fox said, "But I will help you. Just you lie down here, and stretch your legs out as if you were dead." The horse did as he was told, and the fox went to the lion's den, not far off, and said: "There is a dead horse out there. Come along with me, and you will have a rare meal." The lion went with him, and when they got up to the horse, the fox said, "You can't eat it in comfort here. I'll tell you what. I will tie it to you, and you can drag it away to your den and enjoy it at your leisure."
(7) The plan pleased the lion, and he stood quite still, close to the horse, so that the fox should fasten them together. But the fox tied the lion's legs together with the horse's tail and twisted and knotted it so that it would be quite impossible for it to come undone.
(8) When he had finished his work he patted the horse on the shoulder and said: "Pull, old grey! Pull!"
(9) Then the horse sprang up and dragged the lion away behind him. The lion in his rage roared so that all the birds in the forest were terrified and flew away. But the horse let him roar and never stopped till he stood before his master's door.
(10) When the master saw him he was delighted and said to him: "You shall stay with me and have a good time as long as you live."
(11) And he fed him well till he died.
"The Fox and the Horse"—Public Domain
1
Beginning after paragraph 9, write an alternate ending to the folktale using details about the characters and events from the passage. You may choose to use dialogue in your new ending.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
(12) As the horse stood proudly before his master, the lion thrashing and roaring helplessly behind him, the master blinked in disbelief. "What is this? A lion captured by a mere horse? Your cunning outshines even the mightiest beasts of the forest!"
(13) The horse, breathless but resolute, replied, "It was not my strength alone that brought me here, but the cleverness of my friend, the fox. Without his help, I would be nothing but a forgotten creature in the wild."
(14) The master frowned at the lion. "Why should I keep an animal that threatens my horse? You are no longer the king of the jungle, beast. You are now a prisoner in my stable!”
(15) The lion growled, “Release me! I am a fearsome beast! Your horse is weak, and I could crush him with a single swipe!”
(16) The fox, standing nearby, chuckled softly. “You think strength alone assures your freedom? It is wit and loyalty that carry more weight in this world. Let me show you the error of your ways. You cannot intimidate with your roars anymore, lion.”
(17) The master looked at the fox, his interest piqued. “What do you propose?”
(18) “Let us make a deal,” the fox suggested. “If the lion can outsmart me in a riddle contest, you may set him free. But if he fails, he will serve you willingly and live as your humble protector, earning the place of honor he so desperately craves.”
(19) The lion, fueled by pride and anger, agreed, “Very well, I will prove my cunning is unmatched!”
(20) The riddles were exchanged under the watchful eyes of the master. The fox presented clever challenges, and each time the lion snarled in frustration, failing to catch the keen wit of the sly creature.
(21) Finally, after a particularly perplexing riddle, the lion’s frustration boiled over. “Enough!” he roared. “You cheat! You trick me with your wordplay!”
(22) The fox smiled innocently. “No tricks, only to outsmart a brute, my liege. And thus, you are forever bound to this stable.”
(23) The master nodded in agreement. “Indeed. From now on, you will protect my horse, lion. You will learn humility in serving the one you sought to conquer.”
(24) “Very well,” the lion conceded, his pride humbled. “I shall serve, but I will not forget this day and the lesson learned.”
(25) The horse nuzzled the lion, and together with the fox by their side, they formed an unlikely trio, bound by the wits of the clever and the strength of the faithful.
(26) And so, the once proud lion lived peacefully in the stable, learning honor and respect from two unlikely friends, while the peasant flourished under their protection, with stories of bravery and cleverness that spread far and wide.
(27) In the end, the peasant learned to appreciate his companions, and the horse, the lion, and the fox lived together in harmony for the rest of their days, proving that sometimes, it is wisdom and friendship that conquer all, rather than mere strength.
(13) The horse, breathless but resolute, replied, "It was not my strength alone that brought me here, but the cleverness of my friend, the fox. Without his help, I would be nothing but a forgotten creature in the wild."
(14) The master frowned at the lion. "Why should I keep an animal that threatens my horse? You are no longer the king of the jungle, beast. You are now a prisoner in my stable!”
(15) The lion growled, “Release me! I am a fearsome beast! Your horse is weak, and I could crush him with a single swipe!”
(16) The fox, standing nearby, chuckled softly. “You think strength alone assures your freedom? It is wit and loyalty that carry more weight in this world. Let me show you the error of your ways. You cannot intimidate with your roars anymore, lion.”
(17) The master looked at the fox, his interest piqued. “What do you propose?”
(18) “Let us make a deal,” the fox suggested. “If the lion can outsmart me in a riddle contest, you may set him free. But if he fails, he will serve you willingly and live as your humble protector, earning the place of honor he so desperately craves.”
(19) The lion, fueled by pride and anger, agreed, “Very well, I will prove my cunning is unmatched!”
(20) The riddles were exchanged under the watchful eyes of the master. The fox presented clever challenges, and each time the lion snarled in frustration, failing to catch the keen wit of the sly creature.
(21) Finally, after a particularly perplexing riddle, the lion’s frustration boiled over. “Enough!” he roared. “You cheat! You trick me with your wordplay!”
(22) The fox smiled innocently. “No tricks, only to outsmart a brute, my liege. And thus, you are forever bound to this stable.”
(23) The master nodded in agreement. “Indeed. From now on, you will protect my horse, lion. You will learn humility in serving the one you sought to conquer.”
(24) “Very well,” the lion conceded, his pride humbled. “I shall serve, but I will not forget this day and the lesson learned.”
(25) The horse nuzzled the lion, and together with the fox by their side, they formed an unlikely trio, bound by the wits of the clever and the strength of the faithful.
(26) And so, the once proud lion lived peacefully in the stable, learning honor and respect from two unlikely friends, while the peasant flourished under their protection, with stories of bravery and cleverness that spread far and wide.
(27) In the end, the peasant learned to appreciate his companions, and the horse, the lion, and the fox lived together in harmony for the rest of their days, proving that sometimes, it is wisdom and friendship that conquer all, rather than mere strength.