A hare was very popular with the other animals who all said they were her friends．But one day she heard the hounds（猎犬）getting close and hoped to escape them by the aid of her many friends． So，she went to the horse，and asked him to carry her away from the hounds on his back．But he refused，because he had important work to do for his master． He felt sure that all her other friends would come to help her．
      She then came to the bull，and hoped that he would repel the hounds with his horns （角）．The bull replied，"I am very sorry，but I have an appointment with a lady；but I feel sure that our friend the goat will do what you want．" The goat，however，feared that his back might do her some harm if he took her upon it．The sheep，he felt sure，was the proper friend to ask for help．
So she went to the sheep and told him the situation．The sheep replied，"Another time，my dear friend． I do not like to have anything to do with it，as hounds have been known to eat sheep as well as hares．"
The hare then went，as a last hope，to the calf （小牛），who regretted that he was unable to help her，as he did not like to take the responsibility （责任） upon himself，as so many older persons than himself had refused the task．By this time the hounds were quite near，and the hare took to her heels and luckily escaped．