<p>This is one of the greatest trickster stories in all of Jewish literature. According to the Alphabet of Ben Sira, composed between 700 and 1000 CE, every land animal has a corresponding species in the sea - except the fox and the weasel. The reason? The fox was too clever to get caught.</p>

<p>When God created the <a href='/texts/schwartz-the-creation-of-the-angel-of-death.html'>Angel of Death</a>, the angel was given permission to rule over all creatures. God then ordered him to throw one pair of every species into the sea, creating marine counterparts. The Angel of Death obeyed, tossing animals into the water two by two. But when he came for the fox, the fox stood on the shore and started weeping. "Why are you crying?" the angel asked. "For my friends you already threw in," the fox sobbed, gesturing toward the water. The Angel of Death looked at the sea, saw the fox's reflection, assumed the fox pair was already in there, and waved him away. The fox ran. The weasel learned the same trick and escaped too.</p>

<p>But the story doesn't end there. A year later, Leviathan - ruler of the sea - noticed that every species had a marine counterpart except the fox and weasel. Jealous of the fox's legendary intelligence, Leviathan sent big fish to lure him into the sea. They told the fox that Leviathan was dying and wanted the fox to succeed him as king of the sea. Flattered and foolish, the fox climbed onto a fish's back and rode out into the waves.</p>

<p>Halfway across, the fish confessed the truth: Leviathan wanted to rip open the fox's belly, eat his heart, and absorb his wisdom. The fox didn't panic. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?" he said smoothly. "I would have brought my heart. We foxes leave our hearts at home when we travel." The fish, astonished, asked if this was true. The fox assured them it was.</p>

<p>So the fish swam him back to shore. The moment the fox's paws touched sand, he leaped off, rolled in the dirt, and laughed in their faces. "Go away, fools! If my heart wasn't with me, how could I have walked and breathed?" The fish returned to Leviathan empty-handed. Leviathan's response? He quoted (Proverbs 1:32): "The tranquility of the simpleton will kill him." Then he ate the fish. For a parallel version of this story, see <a href='/texts/schwartz-rabbi-joshua-ben-levi-and-the-angel-of-death.html'>Rabbi Joshua Ben Levi and the Angel of Death</a>.</p>