An archer went up into the hills to hunt with his bow. All the animals fled at the sight of him, except for a lion, who stayed and challenged him to a fight. The archer shot an arrow and struck the lion, saying, "There, you see what my messenger can do. Wait a moment, and I'll tackle you myself." Feeling the sting of the arrow, however, the lion ran away as fast as he could.
A fox, who had witnessed the scene, said to the lion, "Come now, don't be a coward. Why didn't you stay and fight?" The lion replied, "You won't convince me to stay. When someone sends such a powerful messenger ahead, he himself must be a terrible fellow to deal with."