LE LION AMOUREUX
by Jean de La Fontaine · from Fables de La Fontaine
Adapted Version
Long ago, creatures could talk. This was a long, long time ago. Lions were strong and brave. They had courage and brains. Lions wanted to be friends with people. They wanted to live with people in peace. This story is about a Lion. He met a Shepherdess.
One day, a strong Lion walked in a field. He saw a Shepherdess there. She was very pretty. The Lion looked at her. He felt love in his heart. He wanted to be with her always. The Lion walked to her. He spoke to her. "I want to marry you," he said. He loved her very, very much. He wanted her to be his wife.
The Shepherdess had a Father. The Father heard the Lion. He did not like this idea. The Lion was big and scary. He had sharp claws and teeth. The Father was afraid for his daughter. But he could not say no. The Lion was very strong. The Father thought of a plan.
The Father spoke to the Lion. "My daughter is very soft," he said. "Your claws are very sharp." They can hurt her. The Father had an idea. "Please let us make your claws soft. Please make your teeth not sharp. Then my daughter will not be afraid. She will love you more."
The Lion loved the Shepherdess so much. He wanted to marry her. He wanted her to be happy. He did not think about danger. He did not think about his strength. He said, "Yes, I will do it." Take my strong claws. Take my sharp teeth. They made his claws soft. They made his teeth not sharp.
Now the Lion had no sharp claws. He had no sharp teeth. He was not strong like before. He was not scary no more. Some dogs came to him. The dogs barked loudly. The Lion tried to scare them. He could not fight back. He could not scare them away. The Lion was very sad. He lost his strength.
The Lion learned a big lesson. He gave up his strength for love. He was not smart. He forgot to be smart. He forgot to be safe. Love made him forget all things. He was not safe no more. Do not give up strength for love. Always be smart, even when you love.
Original Story
LE LION AMOUREUX.
A MADEMOISELLE DE SÉVIGNÉ[23].
Sévigné, de qui les attraits
Servent aux Grâces de modèle,
Et qui naquîtes toute belle,
A votre indifférence près,
Pourriez-vous être favorable
Aux jeux innocents d’une fable,
Et voir, sans vous épouvanter,
Un lion qu’Amour sut dompter?
Amour est un étrange maître!
Heureux qui peut ne le connoître
Que par récit, lui ni ses coups!
Quand on en parle devant vous,
Si la vérité vous offense,
La fable au moins se peut souffrir:
Celle-ci prend bien l’assurance
De venir à vos pieds s’offrir,
Par zèle et par reconnoissance.
Du temps que les bêtes parloient,
Les lions entre autres vouloient
Être admis dans notre alliance.
Pourquoi non? puisque leur engeance
Valoit la nôtre en ce temps-là,
Ayant courage, intelligence,
Et belle hure outre cela.
Voici comment il en alla.
Un lion de haut parentage,
En passant par un certain pré,
Rencontra bergère à son gré:
Il la demande en mariage.
Le père auroit fort souhaité
Quelque gendre un peu moins terrible.
La donner lui sembloit bien dur:
La refuser n’étoit pas sûr;
Même un refus eût fait, possible,
Qu’on eût vu quelque beau matin
Un mariage clandestin;
Car, outre qu’en toute manière
La belle étoit pour les gens fiers,
Fille se coiffe volontiers
D’amoureux à longue crinière.
Le père donc, ouvertement
N’osant renvoyer notre amant,
Lui dit: Ma fille est délicate;
Vos griffes la pourront blesser
Quand vous voudrez la caresser.
Permettez donc qu’à chaque patte
On vous les rogne; et, pour les dents,
Qu’on vous les lime en même temps:
Vos baisers en seront moins rudes,
Et pour vous plus délicieux;
Car ma fille y répondra mieux,
Étant sans ces inquiétudes.
Le lion consent à cela,
Tant son âme étoit aveuglée!
Sans dents ni griffes le voilà,
Comme place démantelée.
On lâcha sur lui quelques chiens
Il fit fort peu de résistance.
Amour! Amour! quand tu nous tiens,
On peut bien dire: Adieu prudence!
II
Story DNA
Moral
Love can blind even the strongest to danger, leading them to make imprudent sacrifices.
Plot Summary
A powerful lion falls deeply in love with a beautiful shepherdess and seeks her hand in marriage. Her fearful but cunning father agrees, on the condition that the lion first have his formidable claws trimmed and teeth filed down to ensure his daughter's safety. Blinded by love, the lion complies, rendering himself completely defenseless. Once disarmed, he is easily overcome and defeated by dogs, serving as a cautionary tale about the imprudence of love.
Themes
Emotional Arc
pride to humility
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Jean de La Fontaine was a 17th-century French fabulist, known for his fables often featuring animals and conveying moral lessons, frequently dedicated to prominent figures of his time.
Plot Beats (8)
- The narrator addresses Mademoiselle de Sévigné, introducing the fable about a lion tamed by love.
- The story begins in a time when animals could speak and lions sought alliance with humans.
- A high-born lion encounters a shepherdess in a meadow and falls in love with her, proposing marriage.
- The shepherdess's father is hesitant, fearing the lion but also afraid to refuse him.
- The father suggests that the lion's claws be trimmed and teeth filed down to ensure his daughter's safety and comfort.
- The lion, completely blinded by love, agrees to the procedure, becoming defenseless.
- Once disarmed, the lion is attacked by dogs and can offer little resistance.
- The fable concludes with the moral that love can make one abandon all prudence.
Characters
The Lion
A large, powerful lion of noble lineage, with a muscular build and a majestic presence. Initially, he possesses formidable claws and teeth, characteristic of his species.
Attire: None, as he is an animal, but his mane serves as his most prominent 'attire'.
Wants: To marry the shepherdess and be with the object of his affection.
Flaw: His overwhelming love and blind trust, which lead him to sacrifice his natural defenses.
He transforms from a formidable, proud predator into a vulnerable, disarmed creature due to love, ultimately leading to his downfall.
Proud, passionate, deeply infatuated, trusting (to a fault), easily swayed by love, initially fierce but becomes docile.
The Shepherdess
A beautiful and delicate young woman, likely of slender build, consistent with a shepherdess's life in rural France during the 17th century.
Attire: Simple, practical attire of a 17th-century French shepherdess: a linen chemise, a sturdy wool or linen skirt (perhaps in muted earth tones like brown, green, or blue), a fitted bodice or waistcoat, and a simple head covering like a coif or kerchief. She might wear sturdy leather shoes or wooden clogs.
Wants: Her motivations are not explicitly stated, but she is desired by the Lion. Her father's actions imply she might have fears about the Lion's wild nature, or she might simply be a pawn in her father's scheme.
Flaw: Not explicitly stated, but her perceived delicacy is her father's justification for disarming the Lion.
She remains largely unchanged, serving as the static object of the Lion's affection and the reason for his downfall.
Described as 'delicate', she is the catalyst for the Lion's transformation, but her own personality is not deeply explored beyond being the object of affection. She is 'for proud people' ('pour les gens fiers'), suggesting she might appreciate strength or status.
The Shepherdess's Father
An adult man, likely of a sturdy build from a life of shepherding in 17th-century rural France. He is cunning and resourceful.
Attire: Practical and durable clothing of a 17th-century French peasant: a coarse linen shirt, wool breeches, a sturdy tunic or waistcoat, and a wide-brimmed felt hat to protect from the elements. He might wear leather boots or wooden clogs.
Wants: To protect his daughter from the dangerous Lion and to avoid a forced marriage, while also avoiding direct confrontation with the powerful suitor.
Flaw: His fear of the Lion's initial power, which drives his deception.
He successfully outwits the powerful Lion, demonstrating the triumph of cunning over brute strength.
Cunning, protective, resourceful, cautious, manipulative, pragmatic.
Locations
A Certain Meadow
A verdant, open field where a high-born lion encounters a shepherdess. The grass is likely lush and green, characteristic of a French pastoral landscape.
Mood: Initially romantic and serene, transitioning to a place of fateful encounter.
The high-born lion first sees and falls in love with the shepherdess, proposing marriage.
Shepherdess's Father's Dwelling
Likely a simple, rustic French cottage or farmhouse, perhaps half-timbered with a thatched or tiled roof, where the shepherdess and her father reside. It would have a hearth and basic, sturdy wooden furniture.
Mood: Initially tense and cautious due to the lion's presence, then deceptive and ultimately tragic.
The shepherdess's father negotiates with the lion, convincing him to have his claws trimmed and teeth filed, leading to his vulnerability.