When we were small children, our grandma would tell my sister and I stories at bedtime. She loved the Greek myths and Aesop's fables, but I have no idea where this particular story comes from.
It's the story of a hunter in the woods. For some reason he knows that he is meant to wait a specified amount of time for his prey. I do not recall if this was by prophecy or by some divine message.
In any case, he lays in wait for a day or so, and a small animal -- a rabbit I think -- finally emerges into the clearing he has been watching. He is hungry by this point, but knows that he is meant to wait, so he lets the rabbit go undisturbed.
He waits for a second day, and a larger animal appears -- a deer I think -- and although he begins to feel starvation creeping in, he again lets the animal go.
The third day comes, and at last a large animal -- a bull I think -- arrives in the clearing, and the hunter strikes.
Not sure how things go from here, but that's the general progression of the story.
My grandmother and sister are both now passed, but I think about this story frequently. I haven't found anyone else over the years to whom it sounds familiar. If anyone has heard it or something similar -- time may have warped the details to be sure -- I would be very interested to hear.