"'A pretty match, indeed! Miss Griffin, for such as you,' said the goat, strutting by him.
"The fox grinned with pain, and said nothing. But that which hurt him most, was the compassion of a dull booby of a donkey, who assured him, with great gravity, that he saw nothing to laugh at in his situation.
"'At all events,' said the fox, at last, 'cheated and betrayed as I am, I have played the same trick on the dog; go laugh at him, gentlemen.'
"'Excuse me,' said the griffin, 'WE NEVER LAUGH AT THE HONEST.'
"And indeed Beppo, after much effort, had gnawed the string in two, and freed his paw; the scent of the fox had enabled him to track him, and here he arrived, burning for vengeance, and finding himself already avenged.
"But his first thought was for his dear cousin. 'Ah! where is she?' he cried; 'without doubt that rascal Reynard has served her some trick.'
"'I fear so, my old friend,' answered the griffin; 'but don't fret. After all she was nothing particular. You shall marry my daughter, and succeed to all the treasure and all the bones that you once guarded so faithfully.'
"'Oh, no, no!' said the faithful fellow; 'I want none of your treasure, and, though I don't mean to be rude, your daughter may go to Guinea; I will run over the whole world, but I will find my dear cousin.'
"'See her, then,' said the griffin, and the beautiful cat, more beautiful than ever, rushed out of the cavern, and threw herself into the dog's paws.
"It was all over with the fox; the cat might forgive some things, but to be boiled alive for the griffin's soup--never!
"'And now, Mr. Reynard,' said the griffin, 'I wish you to understand that I have no daughter; it was me you made love to. Knowing what a tremendous tell-tale the magpie was, I amused myself with cheating her; quite a fashionable amusement--don't you think so?'
"The fox made a dreadful struggle, and leaped on the ground, leaving his tail behind him. It did not grow again in a hurry.
"'Sir,' said the griffin, as the beasts all roared with laughter at the comical figure Reynard made, running into the wood, 'the dog has beaten the fox, cunning as he is. Truth and honesty always come out right in the end.'
"You may be sure that Beppo was very soon married to his beautiful cousin the cat, and though dogs and cats, as a general thing, seldom live happily together, these two proved an exception, and lived to a good old age in perfect harmony."