Aesop Fables » Lion http://www.aesop-fable.com Wed, 10 Aug 2011 16:47:02 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.4 Lion in Love http://www.aesop-fable.com/lion/lion-in-love http://www.aesop-fable.com/lion/lion-in-love#comments Sat, 25 Apr 2009 04:29:20 +0000 Aesop http://www.aesop-fable.com/?p=92 Lions Head SketchA Lion loved the daughter of a woodcutter and demanded her hand in marriage. The Father, unwilling to grant, and yet afraid to refuse his request, hit upon this expedient to rid himself of his difficulties.

He expressed his willingness to accept the Lion as the suitor of his daughter on one condition: that the Lion allowed the Father to extract his teeth, and cut off his claws, as his daughter was fearfully afraid of both. The Lion cheerfully agreed to the proposal.

But when the toothless, clawless Lion returned to repeat his request, the Woodman, no longer afraid, set upon him with his club, and drove him away into the forest.

Moral: Don’t give away an essential part of yourself for the sake of love.

]]> http://www.aesop-fable.com/lion/lion-in-love/feed 8 The Lioness http://www.aesop-fable.com/lion/the-lioness-2 http://www.aesop-fable.com/lion/the-lioness-2#comments Wed, 01 Apr 2009 09:36:04 +0000 Aesop http://www.aesop-fable.com/?p=77 A controversy prevailed among the beasts of the field as to which of the animals deserved the most credit for producing the greatest number of whelps at a birth.

They rushed clamorously into the presence of the Lioness and demanded her to the settlement of the dispute.  “And you,” they said, “how many sons have you at a birth?’  The Lioness laughed at them, and said: “Why! I have only one; but that one is altogether a thoroughbred Lion.”

Moral: The value is in the worth, not in the number.

]]> http://www.aesop-fable.com/lion/the-lioness-2/feed 1 The Lion, the Mouse, and the Fox http://www.aesop-fable.com/lion/the-lion-the-mouse-and-the-fox http://www.aesop-fable.com/lion/the-lion-the-mouse-and-the-fox#comments Mon, 13 Aug 2007 06:00:09 +0000 Aesop http://www.aesop-fable.com/lion/the-lion-the-mouse-and-the-fox A Lion, tired by the summer’s heat, fell fast asleep in his den. A Mouse ran over his mane, nose and ears and woke him from his slumber. The Lion rose up and shook himself in great wrath, and searched every corner of his den to find the Mouse.

A Fox seeing the Lion so put out by the Mouse said: “A fine Lion you are, to be frightened of a Mouse.”

“It’s not that I’m afraid of the Mouse,” said the Lion; “I resent his familiarity and ill-breeding.”

Moral: Little liberties may be great offenses.

]]> http://www.aesop-fable.com/lion/the-lion-the-mouse-and-the-fox/feed 4 The Lion in Love http://www.aesop-fable.com/lion/the-lion-in-love http://www.aesop-fable.com/lion/the-lion-in-love#comments Fri, 04 May 2007 06:31:27 +0000 Aesop http://www.aesop-fable.com/lion/the-lion-in-love A Lion was in love with the daughter of a woodcutter. One day he went to the woodcutter and asked for her hand in marriage.

The Father, unwilling to grant, and yet afraid to refuse his request, thought of an excellent idea to rid himself of his dilemna.

He expressed his willingness to accept the Lion as the suitor of his daughter on one condition: that the Lion allowed the woodcutter to extract his teeth, and cut off his claws, as the woodcutter’s daughter was terribly afraid of both.

The Lion cheerfully agreed to the proposal. But when the toothless, clawless Lion returned to repeat his request, the Woodman, no longer afraid, set upon him with his club, and drove him away into the forest.

Moral: Think before you put yourself into someone else’s power.

]]> http://www.aesop-fable.com/lion/the-lion-in-love/feed 1 The Lioness http://www.aesop-fable.com/lion/the-lioness http://www.aesop-fable.com/lion/the-lioness#comments Tue, 01 May 2007 03:10:20 +0000 Aesop http://www.aesop-fable.com/lion/the-lioness A controversy prevailed among the beasts of the field as to which of the animals deserved the most credit for producing the greatest number of children at a birth.

The animals rushed clamorously into the presence of the Lioness and demanded from her the settlement of the dispute.

“And you,” they said, “how many children do you give birth to at one time?”

The Lioness laughed at them, and said: “Why! I have only one; but that one is a thoroughbred Lion.”

Moral: It is quality, not quantity that counts.

]]> http://www.aesop-fable.com/lion/the-lioness/feed 0 The Sick Lion http://www.aesop-fable.com/lion/the-sick-lion http://www.aesop-fable.com/lion/the-sick-lion#comments Mon, 30 Apr 2007 04:15:27 +0000 Aesop http://www.aesop-fable.com/lion/the-sick-lion A Lion, unable from old age and infirmities to provide himself with food by force, resolved to do so by trickery. He returned to his den, and lying down there, pretended to be sick, taking care that his sickness should be publicly known.

The animals expressed their sorrow, and came one by one to his den, where the Lion devoured them.

After many of the beasts had thus disappeared, the Fox discovered the trick and presenting himself to the Lion, stood on the outside of the cave, at a respectful distance, and asked him how he was.

“I am not so well,” replied the Lion, “but why do you stand without? Pray enter within to talk with me.”

“No, thank you,” said the Fox. “I notice that there are many prints of feet entering your cave, but I see no trace of any returning.”

Moral: He is wise who is warned by the misfortunes of others.

]]> http://www.aesop-fable.com/lion/the-sick-lion/feed 3 The Man and the Lion http://www.aesop-fable.com/lion/the-man-and-the-lion http://www.aesop-fable.com/lion/the-man-and-the-lion#comments Tue, 24 Apr 2007 08:14:49 +0000 Aesop http://www.aesop-fable.com/lion/the-man-and-the-lion A Man and a Lion traveled together through the forest. They soon began to boast of their respective superiority to each other in strength and prowess.

As they were disputing, they passed a statue carved in stone, which represented “a Lion strangled by a Man.”

The traveler pointed to it and said: “See there! How strong we are, and how we are stronger even the king of beasts.”

The Lion replied: “This statue was made by one of you men. If we Lions knew how to erect statues, you would see the Man placed under the paw of the Lion.”

Moral: One story is good, until another is told.

]]> http://www.aesop-fable.com/lion/the-man-and-the-lion/feed 0 The Donkey, the Fox and the Lion http://www.aesop-fable.com/donkey/the-donkey-the-fox-and-the-lion http://www.aesop-fable.com/donkey/the-donkey-the-fox-and-the-lion#comments Tue, 24 Apr 2007 02:22:13 +0000 Aesop http://www.aesop-fable.com/donkey/the-donkey-the-fox-and-the-lion The Donkey and the Fox, having entered into partnership together for their mutual protection, went out into the forest to hunt. They had not gone far when they met a Lion.

The Fox, seeing the imminent danger, approached the Lion and promised to arrange the capture of the Donkey if the Lion would pledge his word not to harm the Fox.

The Fox went back to the Donkey and, assuring him that he would not be hurt, the Fox led the Donkey to a deep pit and arranged that he should fall into it.

The Lion, seeing that the Donkey was secured, immediately grabbed the Fox, and attacked the Donkey at his leisure.

Moral: Don’t give up your friends to someone stronger than you to save yourself.

]]> http://www.aesop-fable.com/donkey/the-donkey-the-fox-and-the-lion/feed 6 The Kingdom of the Lion http://www.aesop-fable.com/lion/the-kingdom-of-the-lion http://www.aesop-fable.com/lion/the-kingdom-of-the-lion#comments Thu, 12 Apr 2007 08:40:46 +0000 Aesop http://www.aesop-fable.com/lion/the-kingdom-of-the-lion The beasts of the field and forest had a Lion as their king. He was neither wrathful, cruel, nor tyrannical, but was as just and gentle as a king could be.

During his reign he made a royal proclamation for a general assembly of all the birds and beasts, and drew up conditions for a universal league, in which the Wolf and the Lamb, the Panther and the Goat, the Tiger and the Stag, the Dog and the Hare, should live together in perfect peace and unity.

The Hare said, “Oh, how I have longed to see this day, in which the weak shall take their place with impunity by the side of the strong.” And after the Hare said this, he ran for his life.

Moral: It takes more than the ruler’s decree for the subjects to obey.

]]> http://www.aesop-fable.com/lion/the-kingdom-of-the-lion/feed 0 Lion and the Mouse http://www.aesop-fable.com/lion/lion-and-the-mouse http://www.aesop-fable.com/lion/lion-and-the-mouse#comments Wed, 11 Apr 2007 01:36:02 +0000 Aesop http://www.aesop-fable.com/http:/www.aesop-fable.com/lion/lion-and-the-mouse ONCE WHEN a Lion was asleep a little Mouse began running up and down upon him. This soon wakened the Lion, who placed his huge paw upon him, and opened his big jaws to swallow the mouse.”Pardon, O King,” cried the little Mouse: “forgive me this time, I shall never forget it: who knows but what I may be able to do you a turn some of these days?”

The Lion thought this idea of the Mouse being able to help him so funny, that he lifted up his paw and let him go.

Some time after, the Lion was caught in a trap. The hunters who caught him wanted to carry him alive to the King. So they the Lion to a tree while they went in search of a waggon to carry him on.

Just then the little Mouse happened to pass by, and seeing the sad plight which the Lion was in, went up to him and soon gnawed away the ropes that bound the King of the Animals.

“Was I not right?” said the little Mouse.

Moral: Little friends may prove great friends.

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