Wolf's Sabbath

[Abhidevananda]

A wolf found himself in a barren region. He observed: "No food here and
no way to get it. I may as well keep a sabbath fast to please Lord
Shiva." With that thought, the wolf sat for meditation.

Little did the wolf know that Shiva was watching him at that very
moment and wanted to test his sincerity. Shiva took the form of a goat
and stood nearby.

Soon the wolf sensed the goat's presence. Thinking "I will observe my
sabbath fast another day," the wolf attacked the goat. But every time
the wolf pounced, the goat leaped out of harm's way.

When the wolf saw that he could not catch the goat, he went back to his
seat of meditation, consoling himself with the thought: "At least I
have not broken my sabbath fast."