Long ago a lion and a bear saw a kid. They sprang upon¹ it at the same time. The lion said to the bear, "I caught this kid first, and so this is mine."

"No, no,"  said the bear. "I found it earlier than you, so this is mine." And they fought long and fiercely². At last both of them got very tired and could no longer fight.

A fox who hid himself behind a tree not far away and was watching the fight between the lion and the bear, came out and walked in between them, and ran off（逃跑） with the kid.

The lion and the bear both saw the fox, but they could not even catch the fox.

The lion said to the bear, "We have fought for nothing. That sly³ fox has got the kid away."