Philosophers Three

A BEAR, a Fox, and an Opossum were attacked by an inundation1.
Death loves a coward, said the Bear, and went forward to fight
the flood.
What a fool! said the Fox. I know a trick worth two of that.
And he slipped into a hollow stump2.
There are malevolent3 forces, said the Opossum, which the wise
will neither confront nor avoid. The thing is to know the nature
of your antagonist4.
So saying the Opossum lay down and pretended to be dead.