THE GNAT and THE LION
by Aesop · from Aesop's Fables; a new translation
Adapted Version
Once, there was a big Lion. There was also a small Gnat. The Gnat flew to the Lion. "I am not scared," the Gnat said. "I am stronger than you." Lion was very big. Lion was very strong. The Gnat was very small. It was tiny. "What can you do?" the Gnat asked.
"You can scratch with claws. You can bite with teeth." Gnat buzzed. "I am still stronger." Gnat looked at Lion. "Let us fight and see!" it said. The Lion did not speak. It just watched the Gnat.
The Gnat made a loud sound. It was like a tiny horn. Then the Gnat flew very fast. It went right to the Lion's nose. The Gnat bit the Lion's nose. It was a quick, sharp bite. The Lion roared loudly.
The Lion felt the bite. It was very angry. The Lion tried to hit the Gnat. It used its big paw. The Gnat flew away quickly. The Lion missed the Gnat. The Lion scratched its own nose hard. Its nose got a red mark. It made its nose very sore. It hurt the Lion. The Gnat was safe.
The Gnat flew around the Lion. It buzzed a happy sound. The Gnat was very proud. It won the fight! The big Lion could not catch it. The Gnat felt very strong. It was a great victory. The Gnat felt like a hero.
The Gnat flew away from the Lion. It was still very happy. It buzzed and danced in the air. But then, the Gnat saw a web. A spider made the web. The web was thin and sticky. The Gnat flew right into it. It did not see the danger.
The Gnat was stuck in the web. It could not fly out. The Gnat tried to get free. It moved its tiny wings. But the web held it tight. A small Spider came quickly. The Spider caught the Gnat. The Gnat was so proud before. It beat the big Lion. But a small Spider took it away. The Gnat could not escape.
So, remember: even the strongest can fall. And pride can lead to trouble.
Original Story
THE GNAT AND THE LION
A Gnat once went up to a Lion and said, "I am not in the least afraid of you: I don't even allow that you are a match for me in strength. What does your strength amount to after all? That you can scratch with your claws and bite with your teeth—just like a woman in a temper—and nothing more. But I'm stronger than you: if you don't believe it, let us fight and see." So saying, the Gnat sounded his horn, and darted in and bit the Lion on the nose. When the Lion felt the sting, in his haste to crush him he scratched his nose badly, and made it bleed, but failed altogether to hurt the Gnat, which buzzed off in triumph, elated by its victory. Presently, however, it got entangled in a spider's web, and was caught and eaten by the spider, thus falling a prey to an insignificant insect after having triumphed over the King of the Beasts.
Story DNA
Moral
Even the strongest can be defeated by the smallest, and pride often leads to a downfall.
Plot Summary
A boastful Gnat challenges a powerful Lion, claiming superior strength. The Gnat bites the Lion, causing the Lion to injure itself in a futile attempt to swat the tiny insect. Elated by its victory over the King of Beasts, the Gnat flies off, only to immediately become entangled in a spider's web and be eaten by the spider, demonstrating that even the mightiest victor can fall prey to the smallest, unforeseen danger.
Themes
Emotional Arc
pride to triumph to sudden downfall
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Aesop's Fables are a collection of ancient Greek stories, many of which are thought to have originated from an enslaved storyteller named Aesop.
Plot Beats (7)
- A Gnat approaches a Lion and boasts that it is not afraid and is stronger than the Lion.
- The Gnat challenges the Lion to a fight to prove its strength.
- The Gnat sounds its horn and bites the Lion on the nose.
- The Lion, in a fury, scratches its own nose badly trying to crush the Gnat, causing it to bleed.
- The Gnat escapes unharmed and flies off, celebrating its victory over the Lion.
- Shortly after, the Gnat becomes entangled in a spider's web.
- The Gnat is caught and eaten by the spider, an insignificant creature.
Characters
★
The Gnat
Extremely small, almost invisible to the naked eye, with a delicate, segmented body. Its legs are thin and spindly, and its wings are translucent and veined, beating at an incredibly high frequency.
Attire: None, as it is an insect.
Wants: To prove its superiority and strength over the Lion, driven by a desire for recognition and to challenge perceived power.
Flaw: Overconfidence and a lack of awareness of smaller, more insidious threats, leading to its downfall.
Starts as an arrogant challenger, achieves a surprising victory against a mighty foe, but then falls prey to a much smaller, less glorious threat due to its own hubris.
Boastful, arrogant, overconfident, provocative, and ultimately triumphant but careless.
⚔
The Lion
A large, powerful African lion, with a muscular, tawny-gold body. Its paws are broad and heavy, tipped with sharp, retractable claws. Its tail is long and ends in a dark tuft.
Attire: None, as it is an animal.
Wants: To maintain its status as the 'King of Beasts' and to be left undisturbed, reacting aggressively to challenges.
Flaw: Its immense size makes it clumsy against a tiny, agile foe, and its temper leads to self-inflicted injury.
Starts as a powerful, unchallenged king, is humiliated by a tiny insect, and ends defeated and bleeding, though not fatally wounded.
Proud, powerful, easily provoked, and ultimately vulnerable to persistent, irritating attacks despite its strength.
○
The Spider
A common spider, likely of a size appropriate to catch a gnat. It has eight spindly legs, a segmented body, and a web-spinning spinneret.
Attire: None, as it is an arachnid.
Wants: Survival, driven by the instinct to hunt and feed.
Flaw: None shown in the story, as it successfully fulfills its role.
Appears only at the end to serve as the ironic downfall of the Gnat.
Patient, predatory, opportunistic, and effective.
Locations
The Lion's Domain
An open, sun-drenched savanna or rocky outcrop where the Lion typically resides, likely with sparse vegetation and dry earth.
Mood: Initially tense and challenging, then chaotic and painful for the Lion, triumphant for the Gnat.
The Gnat challenges and defeats the Lion, biting its nose and causing it to injure itself.
Spider's Web in the Undergrowth
A hidden, intricate spider's web woven amongst low-lying vegetation, possibly near the edge of the savanna or in a slightly more sheltered, bushy area.
Mood: Initially triumphant for the Gnat, then suddenly perilous and fatal.
The Gnat, still elated from its victory, becomes entangled in a spider's web and is eaten.