THE STONE LION
by Ada M. Skinner · from Merry Tales
Adapted Version
Once, there were two brothers. They lived with their Mother. Older Brother was not kind. He did not like Younger Brother. Younger Brother was very good. Older Brother told them to leave. Mother and Younger Brother went away.
They walked far away. They found a small hut. It was their new home. Younger Brother worked very hard. He wanted to help his Mother. They had food. They were happy there.
Younger Brother went to the hill. He saw a big Stone Lion. It was made of rock. Younger Brother thought it was special. He wanted to give it a gift. He was a kind boy.
Younger Brother made a small gift. He put it by the Stone Lion. The Stone Lion opened its mouth. It spoke to Younger Brother. "Bring a bucket," said Stone Lion. "I will give you gold. Do not drop any gold."
Younger Brother brought a bucket. Stone Lion gave him gold. Younger Brother was very careful. He did not drop any gold. He took the gold home. He and Mother bought a big farm. They were very happy there.
Older Brother heard about the gold. He wanted gold too. He felt very greedy. He went to the small hut. Then he went to the big hill. He wanted to find Stone Lion.
Older Brother brought his bucket. Stone Lion said, "I will give you gold. Do not drop any gold." Older Brother wanted much gold. He shook the bucket. He wanted more gold to fit. He did not say stop.
One gold piece fell. Stone Lion said, "Gold is in my mouth. Get it out." Older Brother put his hand in. Stone Lion's mouth closed fast. It held his hand tight. He was stuck.
The gold in the bucket changed. It was not gold now. It was only dirt and stones. Older Brother had no gold. His greed did not help him.
Older Brother's Wife looked for him. She found him at the hill. His hand was in Stone Lion's mouth. She was very worried. They had no food.
Stone Lion made a big sound. It opened its mouth wide. Older Brother pulled his hand out. He was free. He ran away very fast. He was scared.
Older Brother and his Wife went back. They went to Younger Brother's farm. Younger Brother was kind. He gave them some money. They bought a small home. They learned a lesson.
Younger Brother and his Mother lived happily. They had a good home. They remembered Stone Lion. They were always kind. Kindness brings good things.
Original Story
THE STONE LION
Once there were two brothers who lived with their mother in a large house on a farm. Their father was dead. The older brother was clever and selfish, but the younger was kind and gentle. The older brother did not like the younger because he was so honest that he never could get the best of a bargain. One day he said to him: “You must go away. I cannot afford to support you any longer.”
So the younger brother packed all his belongings, and went to bid his mother good-by. When she heard what the older brother had done, she said, “I will go with you, my son. I will not live here any longer with so hard-hearted a man as your brother.”
49The next morning the mother and the younger brother started out together. Toward night when they reached the foot of the hill, they came to a hut with nothing in it except an ax which stood behind the door. But they managed to get their supper and stayed in the hut all night.
In the morning they saw that on the side of the hill near the hut was a great forest. The son took the ax, went up on the hillside and chopped enough wood for a load to carry to the town on the other side of the hill. He easily sold it, and with a happy heart brought back food and some clothing to make his mother and himself comfortable.
“Now, mother,” he said, “I can earn enough to keep us both, and we shall be happy here together.”
One day, in search of timber, the boy went farther up the hill than he had ever gone before. As he climbed up the steep hillside, he suddenly came upon a lion carved from stone.
“Oh,” thought the boy, “this must be the guardian spirit of the mountain. I will make 50him some offering to-morrow morning without fail.”
That night he bought two candles and carried them to the lion. He lighted them, put one on each side of the lion, and asked that his own good fortune might continue.
As he stood there, suddenly, the lion opened his great stone mouth and said:
“What are you doing here?”
The boy told him how cruel the elder brother had been; how the mother and himself had been obliged to leave home and live in a hut at the foot of the hill. When he had heard all of the story, the lion said:
“If you will bring a bucket here to-morrow and put it under my mouth, I will fill it with gold for you.”
The next day the boy brought the bucket.
“You must be very careful to tell me when it is nearly full,” said the lion, “for if even one piece of gold should fall to the ground, great trouble would be in store for you.”
The boy was very careful to do exactly as the lion told him, and soon he was on his way 51home to his mother with a bucketful of gold. They were so rich now that they bought a beautiful farm and went there to live.
At last the hard-hearted brother heard of their good fortune. He had married since his mother and brother had gone away, so he took his wife and went to pay a visit to his younger brother. It was not long before he had heard the whole story of their good fortune, and how the lion had given them all the gold.
“I will try that, too,” he said.
He and his wife went to the same hut his brother had lived in, and there they passed the night.
The next morning he started out with a bucket to visit the stone lion. When he had told the lion his errand, the lion said:
“I will grant your wish, but you must be very careful to tell me when the bucket is nearly full; for if even one little piece of gold touches the ground, great misery will surely fall upon you.”
Now the elder brother was so greedy that 52he kept shaking the bucket to get the gold pieces closer together. And when the bucket was full he did not tell the lion, as the younger brother had done, for he wanted all he could possibly get.
Suddenly one of the gold pieces fell upon the ground.
“Oh,” cried the lion, “a big piece of gold is stuck in my throat. Put your hand in and get it out. It is the largest piece of all.”
The greedy man thrust his hand at once into the lion’s mouth and the lion snapped his jaws together! And there the man stayed, for the lion would not let him go. And the gold in the bucket turned into earth and stones.
When night came and the husband did not return, the wife became anxious and went out to search for him. At last she found him with his arm held fast in the lion’s mouth. He was tired and cold and hungry.
“Alas!” she said, “I wish we had not tried to get the gold. There is no food in the hut for us and we shall have to die.”
The lion was listening to all that was said, 53and he was so pleased at their misfortune that he began to laugh at them, “Ha, ha, ha!” As he laughed, he opened his mouth and the greedy man quickly drew out his hand, before the lion had a chance to close his jaws again. They were glad enough to get away, and they went to their brother’s house once more. The brother was sorry for them and gave them enough money to buy a home.
The younger brother and his mother lived very happily in their beautiful home, but they always remembered the Stone Lion on the hillside, who gave them their good fortune.
Story DNA
Moral
Kindness and honesty are rewarded, while greed and selfishness lead to misfortune.
Plot Summary
A selfish older brother expels his kind younger brother and their mother from their home. The younger brother discovers a magical stone lion, to whom he shows respect. The lion rewards his kindness with a bucket of gold, warning him not to let any fall. The younger brother carefully follows instructions and becomes wealthy. The greedy older brother attempts the same, but his selfishness leads him to disobey the lion's warning, resulting in him getting trapped and his gold turning to stones. The lion eventually releases him, and the younger brother, despite past cruelty, helps his brother and his wife find a new home, living happily ever after.
Themes
Emotional Arc
suffering to triumph
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Ada M. Skinner was an American author and editor of children's literature in the early 20th century, often compiling and adapting traditional tales.
Plot Beats (13)
- An older, selfish brother expels his kind younger brother and mother from their home.
- The younger brother and mother find a simple hut and the younger brother begins to earn a living by chopping wood.
- While searching for timber, the younger brother discovers a stone lion and decides to make an offering to it.
- The younger brother lights candles for the lion, which then speaks and offers him gold if he brings a bucket and warns him not to let any gold fall.
- The younger brother carefully follows the lion's instructions, fills his bucket with gold, and he and his mother become wealthy, buying a beautiful farm.
- The older brother hears of their fortune and, driven by greed, goes to the same hut and then to the stone lion.
- The lion offers the older brother gold with the same warning, but the older brother, wanting more, shakes the bucket and fails to tell the lion when it's full.
- A piece of gold falls, and the lion tricks the older brother into putting his hand in its mouth, trapping him.
- The gold in the older brother's bucket turns to earth and stones.
- The older brother's wife finds him trapped and laments their misfortune.
- The lion laughs at their misery, opening its mouth, allowing the older brother to escape.
- The older brother and his wife return to the younger brother, who, despite their past, gives them money to buy a home.
- The younger brother and his mother live happily, always remembering the Stone Lion.
Characters
Younger Brother ★ protagonist
Of average height and build, with a gentle demeanor. His features are unassuming, reflecting his kind nature.
Attire: Initially wears simple, practical peasant clothing made of coarse linen and wool in muted earth tones, suitable for farm work and travel. After gaining wealth, he would wear well-made, comfortable garments of finer linen and wool, still practical but of better quality, perhaps in soft blues or greens.
Wants: To provide for his mother and live a peaceful, honest life.
Flaw: Perhaps a bit naive or too trusting, initially allowing his brother to dictate his life.
Starts as an outcast, forced from his home, but through his virtue and hard work, he achieves great fortune and a happy life, eventually showing compassion to his repentant brother.
Kind, gentle, honest, hardworking, grateful, compassionate.
Image Prompt & Upload
A young man standing upright, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. He has a kind, open expression, with soft brown eyes and neatly kept brown hair. He wears a simple, practical tunic of cream-colored linen, sturdy brown trousers, and worn leather boots. He holds a well-used wooden ax in his right hand. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Mother ◆ supporting
A woman of advanced years, likely with a slightly stooped posture from a lifetime of work, but still possessing a resilient spirit. Her build is probably slender.
Attire: Wears practical, modest peasant clothing: a long, dark linen dress, a simple apron, and a headscarf or cap. Her clothes are clean but well-worn.
Wants: To stay with and support her kind younger son, and to find a safe and happy home.
Flaw: Her vulnerability due to age and dependence on her sons.
Remains a constant source of support for her younger son, experiencing the change from poverty to prosperity alongside him.
Loving, loyal, resilient, wise, supportive.
Image Prompt & Upload
An elderly woman standing upright, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. She has a kind, gentle expression, with a face lined with age and soft, wise eyes. Her white hair is neatly pulled back under a simple, dark blue linen headscarf. She wears a long, modest dress of dark grey linen and a simple, light-colored apron. Her hands are clasped gently in front of her. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Older Brother ⚔ antagonist
Likely of a robust build, perhaps a bit heavier set, reflecting a life of comfort and self-indulgence. His features might be sharp or stern.
Attire: Initially wears slightly better quality, but still practical, farm clothing. After his brother's departure, he would wear more expensive, perhaps slightly ostentatious, garments of wool and finer linen, in darker, richer colors, reflecting his desire for status and wealth.
Wants: To accumulate wealth and power, to get the best of every bargain, and to maintain his own comfort at others' expense.
Flaw: His insatiable greed, which leads to his downfall and suffering.
Starts as a cruel and selfish individual, suffers a direct consequence of his greed, and is ultimately humbled, receiving charity from the brother he wronged.
Clever, selfish, hard-hearted, greedy, envious, ungrateful.
Image Prompt & Upload
A man standing upright, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. He has a stern, somewhat calculating expression, with narrow eyes and a slightly downturned mouth. His dark hair is neatly combed. He wears a well-made tunic of dark green wool, sturdy brown trousers, and polished leather boots. He holds a large, empty wooden bucket in his left hand. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Stone Lion ◆ supporting
A large, imposing lion carved entirely from stone, with a majestic and ancient appearance. Its form is solid and unyielding, with detailed mane and powerful limbs. Its eyes, though stone, convey a sense of ancient wisdom.
Attire: None, as it is a stone statue.
Wants: To act as a guardian spirit of the mountain, rewarding virtue and punishing greed.
Flaw: None apparent, it is a powerful magical entity.
Remains a constant, unchanging force of justice and fortune throughout the story.
Wise, powerful, just, observant, discerning, with a dry sense of humor (when laughing at the older brother).
Image Prompt & Upload
A majestic, ancient lion statue carved entirely from grey stone, standing on a rocky outcrop. Its powerful body is detailed with a flowing stone mane and strong limbs. Its great stone mouth is slightly ajar, as if about to speak. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Wife of Older Brother ○ minor
Likely of a similar social standing to her husband, perhaps with a slightly anxious or worried expression.
Attire: Wears clothing that reflects her husband's comfortable, but not extravagant, means. Likely a practical dress of sturdy fabric, perhaps with a simple shawl.
Wants: To support her husband and ensure their well-being, though she expresses regret for their greedy actions.
Flaw: Her dependence on her husband and her shared ambition for wealth.
Experiences the negative consequences of greed alongside her husband, leading to a moment of regret and humility.
Anxious, worried, perhaps somewhat complicit in her husband's greed but also capable of regret.
Image Prompt & Upload
An adult woman standing upright, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. She has a worried and anxious expression, with slightly furrowed brows and wide eyes. Her dark hair is neatly pulled back into a simple bun. She wears a practical, long dress of muted brown wool and a simple, cream-colored linen apron. Her hands are clasped together in front of her chest. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
Small Hut at the Foot of the Hill
A simple, small dwelling with nothing inside except an ax behind the door. It provides basic shelter.
Mood: Sparse, humble, temporary refuge, later becomes a base for greed
The younger brother and his mother find shelter here after leaving their home; later, the older brother and his wife stay here before visiting the stone lion.
Image Prompt & Upload
A small, rustic wooden hut nestled at the base of a steep, forested hill. The hut is constructed from rough-hewn logs, with a simple thatched roof and a single, small window. Smoke gently curls from a stone chimney. The ground around the hut is covered in dry leaves and sparse, hardy grass. A faint, warm glow emanates from within the hut, suggesting a fire. The sky above is a deep twilight blue, with the first stars beginning to appear. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Steep Forested Hillside
A challenging ascent covered in a great forest, leading to higher elevations where the stone lion is found.
Mood: Challenging, natural, mysterious, holds hidden wonders
The younger brother chops wood here for sustenance and later discovers the Stone Lion while searching for timber.
Image Prompt & Upload
A winding, narrow dirt path ascends a steep, densely forested hillside. Towering, ancient oak and pine trees with thick, gnarled branches form a dense canopy overhead, filtering dappled sunlight onto the forest floor. The ground is a rich tapestry of moss, fallen leaves, and exposed tree roots, with occasional large, smooth boulders. The air feels cool and still, with a sense of quiet solitude. Deep shadows stretch between the tree trunks, creating a sense of depth and mystery. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Stone Lion's Lair on the Hillside
A clearing or specific spot on the steep hillside where a large lion carved from stone resides, capable of speech and magic.
Mood: Mystical, powerful, ancient, foreboding for the greedy
The younger brother makes an offering and receives gold; the older brother attempts to get gold but is trapped and humiliated.
Image Prompt & Upload
A colossal, ancient lion carved from rough, grey granite sits majestically on a rocky outcrop on a steep hillside. Its features are weathered but distinct, with a wide, open mouth. Sparse, hardy scrub bushes and patches of dry, clinging moss grow around the base of the stone lion. The ground is composed of loose scree and larger, jagged rocks. The sky above is a deep, star-studded night, casting long, dramatic shadows. Two small, flickering candles are placed symmetrically on either side of the lion's head, casting a warm, ethereal glow on its stone face. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Beautiful Farm
A prosperous and comfortable farm purchased with the gold, signifying the younger brother's good fortune.
Mood: Peaceful, prosperous, happy, secure
The younger brother and his mother establish a new, happy life here after gaining wealth from the stone lion.
Image Prompt & Upload
A sprawling, idyllic farm bathed in the warm, golden light of a late afternoon. A charming, well-maintained farmhouse with a red-tiled roof and whitewashed walls stands amidst lush green fields. A winding dirt path leads to the house, flanked by vibrant flower gardens. In the distance, rolling hills are covered with neat rows of crops and grazing animals. The sky is a clear, soft blue with a few wispy clouds. The overall impression is one of peace, abundance, and contentment. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
