A fortnight ago you were as plump as heart could wish ! ' ' I have been ill -- very ill , ' replied the fox , ` and what you say is quite true . A worm is fat in comparison with me . ' ` He is . Still , you are good enough for me ; for `` to the hungry no bread is hard . '' ' ` Oh , you are always joking ! I 'm sure you are not half as hungry as I ! ' ` That we shall soon see , ' cried the wolf , opening his huge mouth and crouching for a spring . ` What are you doing ? ' exclaimed the fox , stepping backwards . ` What am I doing ? What I am going to do is to make my supper off you , in less time than a cock takes to crow . ' ` Well , I suppose you must have your joke , ' answered the fox lightly , but never removing her eye from the wolf , who replied with a snarl which showed all his teeth : ' I do n't want to joke , but to eat ! ' ` But surely a person of your talents must perceive that you might eat me to the very last morsel and never know that you had swallowed anything at all ! ' ` In this world the cleverest people are always the hungriest , ' replied the wolf . ` Ah ! how true that is ; but -- ' ' I ca n't stop to listen to your `` buts '' and `` yets , '' ' broke in the wolf rudely ; ` let us get to the point , and the point is that I want to eat you and not talk to you . ' ` Have you no pity for a poor mother ? ' asked the fox , putting her tail to her eyes , but peeping slily out of them all the same . ' I am dying of hunger , ' answered the wolf , doggedly ; ` and you know , ' he added with a grin , ` that charity begins at home . '
` Quite so , ' replied the fox ; ` it would be unreasonable XXXXX me to object to your satisfying your appetite at my expense .
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