Aesop | Greece
The Stag and The Oxen
A hunted stag seeks shelter among oxen in a barn, unnoticed by the barn keeper but exposed by the observant master.
Once upon a time, a stag was running away from hunters. He was very scared and needed a place to hide. He found a barn where some oxen lived. The stag asked the oxen if he could hide with them. The kind oxen agreed and covered him with straw.
Soon after, the barn keeper came in to feed the oxen. He was a simple man and didn’t notice anything strange. He gave the oxen their food and left, without seeing the hidden stag. The stag felt safe and thought he had escaped the hunters.
But one wise ox said, "Don’t be so sure. The barn keeper may not notice much, but our master sees everything."
As soon as the ox said this, the master came into the barn. He looked around carefully, checking his animals and their surroundings. He noticed small things that weren’t right. While he was looking at the straw, he felt the stag’s antlers. The master uncovered the stag and caught him.
In the end, the stag understood that it’s not enough to fool someone who doesn’t notice much. There is always someone who pays close attention to details.
