سندبادنامه 389.20

389.20

این بستاخی اندیشذ ، ودر مقاتلت با زور بازوی وی مقاومت مایذ؛ اگر به ببنذ باز گردذ ، ودرخت من نمایذ، تا بنده اورا بیش ملک آرذ ، تا ملک پاداش دلیری وجرأت وتعدی وسفاهت در باب او تقدیم بمایذ . شیر چون این سخن بشنیذ ، بدمدمهٔ‌ بوزنه مغرور شذ ، وچون کفتار بگفتار در چوال شذ؛ باز گشت وبا بوزته روی بدرخت نهاذ . صعلوک از دور شیر وبوزنه بدید ، دانست کی قصد او دارند . در میان درخت کاوا کی بوذ ، در کاواک رفت ، وخاموش بنشست . چندانک وزته بر درخت دوید ، وبسر کاوا ک بیرون رفت ، صعلوک دست از کاواک بیرون کرد ، وخایآهای بوزته استوار بگرفت ، وبقوت سفشارد ، چنانک بوزنه بیهوش از درخت بیفتاذ ، وجان محزانهآ مالک دوزخ فرستاذ . شیر چون این دستبرد مشاهده کرد پای بر گرفت ، وروی بهزیمت نهاذ ، وآن هزیمت غنیمت شمرد ، وبا خوذ گفت : الفرار فی وقته ظفره :

contemplate such insolence toward the king, or to withstand the strength of his arm in combat. If
the king will turn back and show me the tree, this servant will bring him before the king, so that the king
may administer the recompense for audacity, presumption, transgression, and folly in his case." When the lion heard this
speech, he was duped by the monkey's blather, and like a hyena caught by words, he walked into the sack;
he turned back and made for the tree with the monkey. From afar, the vagabond saw the lion and the monkey
and knew that they intended to attack him. Inside the tree there was a hollow; he went into the hollow
and sat silently. As soon as the monkey ran up the tree and came out atop the hollow,
the vagabond reached his hand out of the hollow, seized the monkey's testicles firmly,
and squeezed with such force that the monkey fell senseless from the tree,
and [the vagabond] dispatched his soul, in grief, to Mālik of Hell. When the lion witnessed this feat of prowess,
he took to his heels, turned to flee, considered that flight a blessing, and said to himself,
"Flight at the opportune moment is victory."