On a farm with a big red barn and fields of green, lived a horse. He wasn't a young, speedy horse anymore. He was an old horse, with a kind face and tired legs. He had worked hard for his farmer for many, many years, pulling carts and plows.

One sunny morning, the farmer looked at the old horse and sighed. "You're a good horse," he said, "but you're too old to work now. I can't keep feeding you if you don't earn your keep. But, if you can prove you are stronger than a lion and bring one to me, you can stay and eat all the oats you want."

The poor old horse felt very sad. Stronger than a lion? How could he do that? He walked slowly away from the farm, his head hanging low, and went into the nearby woods.

As he was moping under a big oak tree, a sly fox with a bushy tail trotted by. "Well, hello there, long face!" said the fox. "Why do you look so gloomy on such a fine day?"

The horse told the fox all about the farmer's demand. "A lion!" he neighed sadly. "I'm just an old horse."

The fox's whiskers twitched. "Hmm," he said, stroking his chin with a paw. "A lion, you say? I think I have a plan, a very clever plan!"

The fox whispered his idea to the horse. The horse's ears perked up. It was a bit sneaky, but it might just work!

So, the horse lay down on the ground in a clearing, stretched out his legs, and closed his eyes. He pretended to be very, very still, as if he couldn't move a muscle.

The fox then scampered off deeper into the woods until he found a big, fierce lion who was looking for his lunch. "Oh, Mr. Lion, sir!" cried the fox, pretending to be scared. "I've just seen the most amazing thing! There's a dead horse lying in a clearing not far from here. A huge meal, all ready for you!"

The lion licked his lips. "A dead horse, you say? Lead the way, little fox!"

The fox led the grumbling lion to where the old horse lay perfectly still. "See?" said the fox. "What did I tell you?"

The lion circled the horse. "Hmm, he looks tasty. But how will I drag him back to my den? He's very big."

"Easy!" said the clever fox. "I'll tie his tail very tightly to your legs, Mr. Lion. Then you can just pull him along."

The lion thought this was a good idea. So, the fox found some strong vines and very carefully, very tightly, tied the lion's front and back legs to the horse's long, strong tail. He made sure the knots were extra tight.

When he was done, the fox jumped back and shouted, "Now, horse! Get up and pull!"

The old horse, who wasn't dead at all, sprang to his feet with a mighty neigh! He started to gallop, dragging the surprised and very tangled lion behind him.

"ROAR! What's happening? Stop!" roared the lion, but he was tied fast and couldn't get away. The horse pulled and pulled, all the way back to the farm.

When the farmer saw his old horse dragging a roaring, struggling lion into the yard, his eyes went wide with amazement. "Goodness me!" he exclaimed. "You actually did it! You brought me a lion!"

The farmer was so impressed. He quickly helped untie the very grumpy and dizzy lion, who ran off back to the woods as fast as his wobbly legs could carry him, vowing never to trust a fox again.

And the old horse? Well, the farmer kept his promise. The horse got to stay on the farm, in a cozy stable, with all the fresh hay and tasty oats he could eat for the rest of his days. And sometimes, the clever fox would visit, and the horse would share a juicy apple, because good friends and clever plans make life much better.

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