Ask a Fox for Its Skin

Ask a Fox for Its Skin

Long ago there lived a young man, who had married a great beauty. His bride was very demanding. One day, she had an idea that a coat of fox fur would look very pretty on her. So she asked her husband to get her one. But the coat was far too expensive for the young man. As the helpless husband walked home a fox happened to walk by. He pounced on the fox and caught it by the tail. "Well, dear fox, let's make an agreement. Could you offer me a sheet of your skin and I will let you go? That certainly is preferable for you isn't it?"

The fox was shocked at the request, but she replied calmly, "Well, my dear, that's easy. But let my tail go first so that I can pull off the skin for you." So the delighted man let her free and expecting to get the skin his wife had requested. But the moment the fox got free, she ran away as quickly as she could into the forest.

The story was used to demonstrate how hard it can be to get someone to act against there will. 

When I read other fables I'm brought back to my very western viewpoint.  I would equate this fable to 'A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush'.  It would not be a cautionary tale about getting someone to act against there will, it would be don't let go of what you have.

One of the things I have found in life is that people always view the world from the vantage point of themselves.  The wife did not think she was asking for a lot, it was a problem that money could solve. The Young man thought she was asking for a lot because there wasn't enough money to solve her desire by throwing coin at it. The Young man did not think he was asking for a lot from the fox, and certainly his trade benefited both parties. The Fox thought he was asking for a lot and as soon as she could get away with less than agreed upon she did.