A Lion watched a fat Bull feeding in a meadow, and his mouth watered when he thought of the royal feast he would make, but he did not dare to attack him, for he was afraid of his sharp horns. Hunger, however, presently compelled him to do something: and as the use of force did not promise success, he determined to resort to artifice. Going up to the Bull in friendly fashion, he said to him, “I cannot help saying how much I admire your magnificent figure. What a fine head! What powerful shoulders and thighs! But, my dear friend, what in the world makes you wear those ugly horns? You must find them as awkward as they are unsightly. Believe me, you would do much better without them.” The Bull was foolish enough to be persuaded by this flattery to have his horns cut off; and, having now lost his only means of defence, fell an easy prey to the Lion.
狮子看到一只肥肥的公牛在草地上吃草，觉得那正可以成为自己的盘中餐，看着看着便流下了口水，但是他却又不敢攻击公牛，害怕他尖锐的牛角。然而，由于饥肠辘辘，他不得不采取行动，既然武力不一定有用，他决定运用诡计。他假装友好地走到公牛身边，对公牛说：“我情不自禁地来表达对您这样的健美体形的景仰之情。你的头长得多好啊！你的肩膀和大腿多有力量啊！但是我的朋友，到底为什么要长着这么丑陋的犄角呢？你肯定觉得既不好看又笨拙。相信我，如果没有犄角，你肯定会好得多的。”公牛十分蠢，相信了这番话，于是把牛角给砍掉了，因此失去了唯一能够自卫的武器，被狮子轻而易举就给抓住了。