An ill-natured, jealous peasant saw his neighbor's bountiful harvest. Unable to rejoice in his neighbor's good fortune, he devised a plan to ruin it. He caught a fox, tied a lit torch to its tail, and drove it toward his neighbor's fields. To his amazement, the fox turned and plunged into his own ripe grain fields instead.
Within minutes, his fields were engulfed in flames. He rushed about, lamenting and trying to blame his neighbor. However, his neighbor was long known for honesty, while he himself had a reputation for ill nature. No one believed his accusations.
A misdeed often sets a snare for its own deviser.