LE LION
by Jean de La Fontaine · from Fables de La Fontaine
Adapted Version
Once there was a big, strong Sultan Leopard. He had many good things. His land was wide. He felt very happy. He had many cows in his fields. He had many deer in his woods. He had many sheep in his plains. He was very happy.
A baby Lion was born. It lived in a forest nearby. It was a tiny cub. It lived alone. The Lion was very small then.
Sultan Leopard had a wise friend. His friend was Fox. Fox was the Sultan's helper. Fox told the Sultan: "Lion will grow big." "Be kind to Lion now." "Or watch Lion carefully." "It will be strong later."
Sultan Leopard did not listen. He said, "The Lion is just a baby." "It is alone." "It cannot hurt me." Sultan Leopard felt no fear.
Time passed. Many days passed. The baby Lion grew. It grew very big. It grew very strong. Its roar was loud. Its teeth were sharp. It was not a baby anymore. It was a big, strong Lion. Fox was right.
The big Lion walked around. It walked near the fields. Cows were scared. Deer ran away. Sheep hid. People felt worried. Sultan Leopard heard this. He felt a little worried.
Sultan Leopard called Fox. "What can I do?" he asked. Fox said, "Give the Lion food." "Give it some cows." "Then Lion will be happy." "Lion will be your friend."
Sultan Leopard did not listen. "No!" he said. "I am the Sultan." "I am the boss here." "I will not give gifts." "I will fight the Lion." "I will show who is boss."
Sultan Leopard gathered his friends. They went to fight. The Lion was too strong. The Lion roared loudly. Sultan Leopard lost cows. He lost deer. He lost sheep. He lost his power.
The Lion won the fight. The Lion was the new boss. Sultan Leopard was not happy. He lost everything. He lost his land. He lost his friends.
The Sultan learned a hard lesson. It is always good to listen to wise friends.
Original Story
LE LION.
Sultan léopard autrefois
Eut, ce dit-on, par mainte aubaine,
Force bœufs dans ses prés, force cerfs dans ses bois,
Force moutons parmi la plaine.
Il naquit un lion dans la forêt prochaine.
Après les compliments et d’une et d’autre part,
Comme entre grands il se pratique,
Le sultan fit venir son vizir le renard,
Vieux routier et bon politique.
Tu crains, ce lui dit-il, lionceau mon voisin:
Son père est mort, que peut-il faire?
Plains plutôt le pauvre orphelin;
Il a chez lui plus d’une affaire,
Et devra beaucoup au Destin,
S’il garde ce qu’il a sans tenter de conquête.
Le renard dit, branlant la tête:
Tels orphelins, seigneur, ne me font point pitié;
Il faut de celui-ci conserver l’amitié,
Ou s’efforcer de le détruire
Avant que la griffe et la dent
Lui soit crue, et qu’il soit en état de nous nuire.
N’y perdez pas un seul moment.
J’ai fait son horoscope: il croîtra par la guerre;
Ce sera le meilleur lion
Pour ses amis qui soit sur terre;
Tâchez donc d’en être; sinon
Tâchez de l’affoiblir. La harangue fut vaine.
Le sultan dormoit lors; et dedans son domaine
Chacun dormoit aussi, bêtes, gens: tant qu’enfin
Le lionceau devint vrai lion. Le tocsin
Sonne aussitôt sur lui; l’alarme se promène
De toutes parts; et le vizir,
Consulté là-dessus, dit avec un soupir:
Pourquoi l’irritez-vous? La chose est sans remède.
En vain nous appelons mille gens à notre aide:
Plus ils sont, plus il coûte; et je ne les tiens bons
Qu’à manger leur part des moutons.
Apaisez le lion: seul il passe en puissance
Ce monde d’alliés vivant sur notre bien.
Le lion en a trois qui ne lui coûtent rien,
Son courage, sa force, avec sa vigilance.
Jetez-lui promptement sous la griffe un mouton;
S’il n’en est pas content, jetez-en davantage;
Joignez-y quelque bœuf; choisissez, pour ce don,
Tout le plus gras du pâturage.
Sauvez le reste ainsi. Ce conseil ne plut pas.
Il en prit mal; et force États
Voisins du sultan en pâtirent:
Nul n’y gagna, tous y perdirent.
Quoi que fît ce monde ennemi,
Celui qu’ils craignoient fut le maître.
Proposez-vous d’avoir le lion pour ami,
Si vous voulez le laisser craître.
II
Story DNA
Moral
It is wiser to befriend a rising power or neutralize it early than to ignore it and suffer its wrath later.
Plot Summary
Sultan Leopard, a powerful ruler, ignores his wise vizier, a fox, who warns him about a young lion cub in a nearby forest. The fox advises either befriending or destroying the cub before it grows strong. The Sultan dismisses the warning, only to find the lion maturing into a formidable threat. When the lion causes alarm, the fox advises appeasement, but the Sultan again refuses, choosing to fight. Ultimately, the Sultan and his allies are defeated, and the lion becomes the undisputed master, illustrating the consequences of failing to address a rising power.
Themes
Emotional Arc
complacency to regret
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Jean de La Fontaine's fables often satirized French court life and politics of his time, using animal characters to represent human archetypes and power struggles.
Plot Beats (10)
- Sultan Leopard rules a prosperous domain, rich in livestock and game.
- A lion cub is born in a neighboring forest.
- The Sultan's vizier, a cunning fox, advises the Sultan to either befriend or destroy the young lion before it grows powerful.
- The Sultan dismisses the fox's warning, viewing the lion cub as a harmless orphan.
- The lion cub grows into a formidable adult lion, as predicted by the fox.
- The lion's growing power causes widespread alarm in the Sultan's territory.
- The Sultan consults the fox again, who now advises appeasement by offering the lion livestock.
- The Sultan rejects this counsel, choosing instead to fight the lion with his allies.
- The conflict results in heavy losses for the Sultan and his allies.
- The lion emerges victorious and becomes the dominant power.
Characters
Sultan Léopard
A large, powerful leopard with a sleek, muscular build. His coat is a rich, golden-yellow adorned with distinct black rosettes, each with a darker center. He carries himself with an air of indolent authority, his movements slow and deliberate, suggesting a life of ease and unchallenged dominance.
Attire: None, as he is an animal. His natural coat is his defining feature.
Wants: To maintain his comfortable status quo and vast possessions without effort or confrontation.
Flaw: His arrogance and complacency, which lead him to underestimate threats and ignore wise counsel.
He begins as a powerful, complacent ruler and ends as a defeated one, having lost his dominance due to his own poor judgment.
Complacent, arrogant, short-sighted, dismissive of advice, ultimately foolish.
Le Renard (Vizir)
A lean, agile fox with a russet-red coat, a bushy tail tipped with white, and keen, intelligent eyes. He appears somewhat older, with a slightly grizzled muzzle, suggesting years of experience and cunning. His movements are quick and precise.
Attire: None, as he is an animal. His natural coat is his defining feature.
Wants: To ensure the survival and prosperity of the Sultan's domain (and by extension, his own position) through shrewd political maneuvering and foresight.
Flaw: His advice is often ignored by those in power, leading to frustration and powerlessness.
He remains consistent in his wisdom and foresight, but his role shifts from advisor to lamenter as his warnings come true.
Wise, cunning, pragmatic, strategic, observant, loyal (to his own survival and the sultan's well-being, despite the sultan's flaws).
Le Lion (Lionceau)
Initially a 'lionceau' (lion cub), he grows into a powerful, majestic adult lion. He possesses immense strength and a formidable presence. His body is muscular and well-proportioned, indicative of his natural power and vigilance. His coat is a tawny gold, and he develops a magnificent, thick mane.
Attire: None, as he is an animal. His natural coat and mane are his defining features.
Wants: To grow, survive, and assert his natural dominance and power.
Flaw: None explicitly stated; his strength and destiny are his defining traits.
He begins as a seemingly vulnerable 'orphan' and grows into the undisputed 'maître' (master), fulfilling his destiny of power and dominance.
Courageous, strong, vigilant, destined for greatness, ultimately dominant.
Locations
Sultan Léopard's Domain
A vast, fertile territory belonging to Sultan Léopard, characterized by lush green pastures for oxen, dense forests teeming with deer, and expansive plains where sheep graze. The landscape suggests a rich, well-established kingdom.
Mood: Initially prosperous and secure, later becoming tense and threatened.
The setting for Sultan Léopard's initial prosperity and where the threat of the growing lion is discussed and ultimately ignored.
The Nearby Forest
A wild, untamed forest adjacent to Sultan Léopard's domain, serving as the birthplace and initial home of the young lion. It is a place of natural growth and burgeoning power, distinct from the sultan's managed lands.
Mood: Wild, untamed, and initially unassuming, later becoming a source of formidable power.
The place where the lion is born and grows, eventually becoming a powerful force that threatens the sultan's domain.
Sultan Léopard's Court (Implied)
Though not explicitly described, the setting where Sultan Léopard consults his vizier, the fox, and where decisions (or indecisions) are made. It implies a place of authority and governance, likely a royal pavilion or a simple, yet dignified, meeting area within his domain.
Mood: Initially complacent and dismissive, later becoming anxious and desperate.
The crucial discussions about the young lion's threat occur here, highlighting the sultan's misjudgment and the vizier's ignored wisdom.