Aesop's Fables: the fox and the lion

A very young Fox, who had never before seen a Lion, happened to meet one in the forest. A single look was enough to send the Fox off at top speed for the nearest hiding place.

The second time the Fox saw the Lion he stopped behind a tree to look at him a moment before slinking away. But the third time, the Fox went boldly up to the Lion and, without turning a hair, said, "Hello, there, old top."

Lesson: Familiarity breeds contempt. (Acquaintance with evil blinds us to its dangers.)

(The Aesop for Children With pictures by Milo Winter, 1919, p.49)