FABLE LVIII
by Unknown · from Favourite Fables in Prose and Verse
Adapted Version
Once upon a time. A strong Lion lived in a big field. A friendly Donkey lived there too. The field was green. The field was wide. Lion was very clever. Donkey wanted to help him. Lion had a good idea. He asked Donkey to help him hunt. Donkey said, "Yes, I will help!" They would hunt. This was their plan.
Lion told Donkey his clever plan. Lion spoke clearly. "You must hide now," Lion said. "Hide deep in the green bushes." "Then make a very loud noise." "Make a very scary noise for critters." "Other critters will hear your sound." "They will feel very scared." "They will run away from you." "They will run right to me." "I will wait for them there." Lion smiled a little. Donkey listened well. He knew Lion's smart plan. It was a good plan.
Donkey went to the bushes. He hid very well. No one could see him. The bushes were thick. Then Donkey made a sound. It was a very loud sound. It was a very noisy sound. He made it again and again. The sound was "Hee-haw! Hee-haw!" "It scared other critters." "It scared them very much."
Other critters heard the loud noise. They heard it clearly. They did not know what made the noise. They felt very scared. They ran very fast. They ran away from the loud noise. They ran right to Lion. Lion waited for them. He waited in a good spot. He was ready. He was very still.
Lion saw the scared critters. He was very quick. He caught the critters. He caught many critters. Lion was happy. He had a big meal. He ate a lot of food. He was very full now. Lion was a good hunter. He caught many critters with his plan. His plan worked well.
Lion was very full. He did not need more food now. He called to Donkey. "Donkey, stop now," Lion said. "You can stop your loud noise." "It is enough now." Donkey heard Lion's words. He stopped making his loud sound. He stopped braying. He was quiet now.
Donkey came out of the bushes. He felt very proud. He walked to Lion. "Lion," Donkey asked. "Did I do well?" "Was my noise good?" "Did I scare all the critters?" Donkey felt very proud. He thought he was very brave and strong. He waited for Lion's answer. He waited still.
Lion looked at Donkey. Lion smiled a little. "Your noise was very good," Lion said. "It was very loud indeed." "It was very scary for them." "If I did not know you, Donkey," Lion said. "I might be scared too." "But I know you, Donkey." "I know you are not scary at all." "I know your true nature." Lion spoke kindly.
The Lion smiled. Donkey learned a lesson that day. It is not good to pretend. Do not pretend to be very strong. Do not pretend to be very scary. Your friends know the real you. Always be yourself. This is a good lesson. The end.
Original Story
FABLE LVIII.
THE ASS AND THE LION HUNTING.
The Lion took a fancy to hunt in company with the Ass; and, to make him the more useful, gave him instructions to hide himself in a thicket, and then to bray in the most frightful manner that he could possibly contrive. "By this means," says he, "you will rouse all the beasts within hearing of you, while I stand at the outlets and take them as they are making off." This was done; and the stratagem took effect accordingly. The Ass brayed most hideously, and the timorous beasts, not knowing what to make of it, began to scour off as fast as they could; when the Lion, who was posted at a convenient place, seized and devoured them as he pleased.
Having got his belly full, he called out to the Ass, and bid him leave off braying, as he had had enough. Upon this the lop-eared brute came out of his ambush, and, approaching the Lion, asked him, with an air of conceit, "how he liked his performance." "Prodigiously," says he; "you did it so well, that I protest, had I not known your nature and temper, I might have been frightened myself."
MORAL.
Boastful cowards may impose upon those who do not know them, but are held to be only ridiculous by those who do. Pompous persons who would wish themselves thought perfect Lions, when known are mostly found arrant Asses.
Story DNA
Moral
Boastful cowards may impose upon those who do not know them, but are held to be only ridiculous by those who do. Pompous persons who would wish themselves thought perfect Lions, when known are mostly found arrant Asses.
Plot Summary
A Lion and an Ass team up for a hunt, with the Lion instructing the Ass to hide and bray loudly to scare prey towards him. The Ass's frightful braying successfully drives animals into the Lion's ambush, allowing the Lion to feast. Afterward, the conceited Ass asks the Lion how he performed, to which the Lion replies that the braying was so effective he might have been scared himself, had he not known the Ass's true nature, subtly deflating the Ass's pride and highlighting the moral about boastful cowards.
Themes
Emotional Arc
conceit to subtle humiliation
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Fables often served as didactic tools, teaching moral lessons through simple narratives, common in ancient Greece (Aesop) and later European traditions.
Plot Beats (8)
- A Lion and an Ass agree to hunt together.
- The Lion instructs the Ass to hide in a thicket and bray loudly to scare prey.
- The Ass follows the instructions, braying hideously.
- The terrified beasts flee from the sound, directly into the Lion's path.
- The Lion ambushes and devours the fleeing animals.
- After eating his fill, the Lion tells the Ass to stop braying.
- The Ass emerges, full of pride, and asks the Lion how he liked his performance.
- The Lion replies that the braying was so effective, he might have been scared himself, had he not known the Ass's true nature.
Characters
The Lion
A large, powerful African lion, approximately 4 feet tall at the shoulder and 8 feet long from nose to tail. His body is muscular and lean, covered in tawny-gold fur. He has powerful paws with retractable claws and a long, tufted tail.
Attire: None, as he is an animal.
Wants: To hunt and feed himself efficiently.
Flaw: His arrogance and tendency to exploit others for his own gain.
Remains unchanged, reinforcing his position as a clever predator.
Cunning, strategic, opportunistic, somewhat arrogant, and pragmatic.
The Ass
A sturdy, medium-sized domestic donkey, approximately 3.5 feet tall at the shoulder. His coat is a dusty grey-brown, with a lighter muzzle and belly. He has a stocky build and a short, tufted tail.
Attire: None, as he is an animal.
Wants: To prove his usefulness and impress the Lion, seeking recognition for his efforts.
Flaw: His vanity and lack of self-awareness, leading him to believe his own hype.
Begins as an obedient helper, but his brief success inflates his ego, leading to a moment of foolish pride and subsequent humiliation by the Lion's subtle insult.
Gullible, boastful, eager to please, easily flattered, and ultimately foolish.
Locations
Dense Thicket
A very dense, overgrown area of bushes and low-lying trees, providing excellent cover for concealment.
Mood: Concealed, tense, strategic.
The Ass hides here and brays loudly to scare the prey.
Forest Outlets / Hunting Ground
The edges or clearings of a forest where animals would naturally flee, providing strategic ambush points.
Mood: Predatory, dangerous, strategic.
The Lion waits here to ambush the fleeing animals and later converses with the Ass.