FABLE XIX
by John Gay
The Little Lion Who Brayed
Leo was a little lion cub. He loved to be the star. He loved it when everyone clapped for him. The other lion cubs played too rough. Their roars were very loud. Leo did not like it. So he went to find new friends. He found a field of friendly donkeys. The donkeys were quiet and fun.
The donkeys were happy to see Leo. Leo ran in a circle. The donkeys clapped their hooves. Leo tumbled on the soft grass. The donkeys clapped and clapped. Leo jumped over a small bush. The donkeys clapped again. Then, Leo made a funny sound. "Hee-haw!" he said, just like them. The donkeys clapped very, very loud. They loved his silly donkey sound.
Leo was so happy. He felt very special. "I am the best lion!" he thought. He felt like a big, important king. "Father will be so proud!" he said. He wanted to show his father his trick. He ran home to the den.
Leo stood before Father Lion. His father was the king of the lions. He was very big. He was very strong. His mane was like the sun. Leo puffed out his little chest. He stood up as tall as he could. He wanted his father to see him. He wanted his father to clap loudly.
Leo took a very big breath. He filled his whole tummy with air. He made his special donkey sound. "Hee-haw!" he brayed loudly. He looked at his father with a smile. His eyes were wide and hopeful. He waited for the big, loud clap.
But Father Lion did not clap. The den was very quiet. Father Lion's face looked sad. He lowered his big head slowly. He asked, "My son, why that sound?" His voice was not loud. It was soft and full of sorrow. "That is the sound a donkey makes."
"But the donkeys love it!" Leo cried. "It is a happy sound! They think I am the greatest lion ever! They clap when I run. They clap when I tumble. They clap for everything I do!"
Father Lion shook his big, golden mane. "My son, that's for them," he said gently. "But it is not for you. You are not a donkey. You are a lion." He paused. "Lions do not bray. Lions roar. Be proud to be a lion. Your roar is your own song. Make a big, strong roar."
Leo the lion was quiet. He looked at his paws. He thought about the donkeys' clapping. He thought about his father's words. A lion should not bray. A lion should roar. He thought about his own big, strong roar.
Original Story
FABLE XIX.
Lion and Cub.
All men are fond of rule and place, Though granted by the mean and base; Yet all superior merit fly, Nor will endure an equal nigh. They o'er some ale-house club preside With smoke and joke and paltry pride. Nay, e'en with blockheads pass the night; If such can read, to such I write.
A lion cub of sordid mind Avoided all the lion-kind, And, greedy of applause, sought feasts With asses and ignoble beasts; There, as their president appears, An ass in every point, but ears. If he would perpetrate a joke, They brayed applause before he spoke; And when he spoke, with shout they praised, And said he beautifully brayed.
Elate with adulation, then He sought his father's royal den, And brayed a bray. The lion started, The noble heart within him smarted. "You lion cub," he said, "your bray Proclaims where you pass night and day,— 'Midst coxcombs who, with shameless face, Blush not proclaiming their disgrace."
"Father, the club deems very fine, All that conforms with asinine."
"My son, what stupid asses prize Lions and nobler brutes despise."
Moral of the Story
Seeking praise from inferiors inflates false pride and diminishes one's true worth.
Characters
The Lion Cub ★ protagonist
A young, robust lion cub, smaller than an adult lion but with the potential for great strength. His build is still somewhat gangly, typical of a growing cub, but he carries himself with an air of self-importance.
Attire: N/A (animal)
Wants: To be admired and praised, to feel important and superior, even if it means associating with lesser creatures.
Flaw: His vanity and craving for adulation make him susceptible to flattery and blind him to genuine merit.
He confronts his father's disapproval, suggesting a potential moment of realization about the company he keeps and the value of true praise versus empty flattery.
Sordid, greedy for applause, easily flattered, misguided, somewhat foolish.
The Lion ◆ supporting
A majestic and powerful adult lion, clearly the king of his domain. He possesses a formidable build, with well-defined muscles and a commanding presence. His movements are deliberate and regal.
Attire: N/A (animal)
Wants: To guide his son towards wisdom and true nobility, to uphold the honor of the lion-kind.
Flaw: His pride in his lineage makes his son's behavior particularly painful to him.
He acts as a moral compass, attempting to correct his son's misguided path.
Noble, wise, discerning, disappointed, authoritative, proud of his lineage.
The Asses ○ minor
Several common donkeys, with sturdy, somewhat stocky builds and long, floppy ears. Their coats are typically grey or brown, often appearing a bit shaggy.
Attire: N/A (animal)
Wants: To be part of a group, to flatter their 'president' for perceived benefits or simply out of stupidity.
Flaw: Their lack of intelligence and critical thinking makes them easily manipulated by flattery.
They remain unchanged, serving as a static representation of foolishness.
Gullible, sycophantic, easily impressed, lacking discernment, foolish.
Locations
The Asses' Club Meeting Place
A boisterous gathering place, likely a rustic, dimly lit common room or a stable converted for social use, filled with the sounds of braying and crude jokes. The air is thick with the scent of hay and perhaps stale ale.
Mood: Crude, boisterous, sycophantic, filled with false praise.
The lion cub seeks and receives adulation from the asses, believing their praise to be genuine.
The Royal Lion's Den
The regal and imposing den of the Lion King, likely a natural cave or a grand, rock-hewn chamber, reflecting the dignity and power of its inhabitant. It is a place of quiet authority, contrasting sharply with the boisterous club.
Mood: Regal, serious, dignified, authoritative, with an underlying tension of disappointment.
The lion cub brays before his father, who expresses his disappointment and wisdom regarding the cub's choice of company.
Story DNA
Moral
Seeking praise from inferiors inflates false pride and diminishes one's true worth.
Plot Summary
A vain lion cub shuns his own kind to seek applause from a group of asses and other ignoble beasts, who make him their president and praise his every action, even his braying. Inflated with this undeserved adulation, the cub returns to his father's royal den and brays proudly. His noble father is deeply shamed and rebukes him, explaining that what foolish creatures value, true lions despise, thereby exposing the cub's misguided pursuit of validation.
Themes
Emotional Arc
pride to humility
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
John Gay's fables often satirized contemporary society and politics, using animal allegories to comment on human folly and vice.
Plot Beats (9)
- The narrator introduces the human tendency to seek power and praise from those inferior, avoiding equals.
- A young lion cub, vain and seeking applause, shuns other lions and instead joins a group of asses and other 'ignoble beasts'.
- The cub becomes the leader of this group, where his every action and sound, even a bray, is met with exaggerated praise and applause.
- Filled with self-importance from this constant flattery, the cub returns to his father's royal den.
- The cub brays proudly in front of his father, expecting admiration.
- The noble lion is shocked and deeply hurt by his son's behavior and the ignoble sound.
- The father scolds the cub, stating that his bray reveals the company he keeps and the shame of his associates.
- The cub defends his actions, claiming the club finds his 'asinine' behavior fine.
- The father concludes by telling his son that what stupid asses value, true lions and noble creatures despise.
