A fox tumbled into a water tank and could not get out. Along came a thirsty goat, and seeing the fox asked him if the water was good.
The fox jumped at the chance. He sang the praises of the water with all the eloquence at his command and urged the goat to come down.
The goat was so thirsty that he went down without stopping to think and drank his fill. Then they began to consider how they were to get up again.
"I have a good ideas," said the fox, "that is, if you are willing to do something to help us both.
Be so kind as to place your forefeet against the wall and hold your horns straight up. Then I can nip up, and pull you up too."
The goat was glad enough to comply. The fox clambered nimbly over his haunches, shoulders, and horns, reached the edge of the tank, and began to make off.
The goat complained that he had broken their compact. But he only came back to say: "You have more hairs in your beard than brains in your head, my friend.
Otherwise, you wouldn't have gone down without thinking how you were going to get up."
A sensible man never embarks on an enterprise until he can see his way clear to the end of it.