Aesop
|
Greece

The Ass, The Cock, and The Lion

The cock's crow scared off the lion, but the ass, mistakenly thinking he was the threat, chased the lion, leading to his demise.
Understanding
Pride
Wisdom
Aesop's Fables - The Ass, The Cock, and The Lion
Audio available for B1 version

In a lush green meadow, an ass and a cock were munching on sweet grass and grains. Suddenly, a fierce lion sprang out from behind a bush. Terrified, the cock let out a loud crow. It was a well-known fact that lions did not like the crowing of roosters, so the lion quickly dashed off.

The ass, watching this, thought that it was his presence that had scared the lion away. So, puffing up his chest, the ass decided to chase the lion. He raced off after the lion, leaving the cock behind.

Once they were far from the cock's loud crow, the lion spun around. The ass realized too late that it wasn't him the lion was afraid of. In a flash, the lion pounced, and the poor ass was no more. He had mistakenly believed that he was the one the lion feared, and it cost him dearly.

In a bright and colorful meadow, an ass and a cock were best buddies, just munching away on super yummy grass and grains. They were like two pals at a candy store, but, you know, the nature version!

Out of nowhere—BAM! A lion jumped out like he was the bad guy in a superhero movie. He looked pretty serious, like he meant business. Yikes!

The cock knew what to do. He let out a loud crow, as loud as if he were singing his favorite song at a concert. Fun fact: lions don't like the sound of roosters crowing. It's like listening to someone scratching a chalkboard. So, the lion made like a banana and split!

Watching all this, the ass thought, "Hey, I must be the brave one here. That lion ran away because of me!" Puffing out his chest like a puffed-up marshmallow, the ass said, "Sit tight, my feathered friend. Watch how it’s really done!"

The ass ran off after the lion, going so fast he could have won a race. The cock just shook his head. "Oh boy," he said, "some friends never learn."

The ass caught up with the lion where it was nice and quiet, no crowing to be heard. That's when the lion turned around. Uh-oh. The ass suddenly realized he'd made a big mistake. And before he could say, "Whoops," the lion jumped, and let’s just say the ass wasn’t coming back for more meadow picnics.

The cock strutted back to the meadow, shaking his head and chuckling a little. "Well, my friend thought he was the big hero, didn't he? Sometimes, it's not about being the star; it's about knowing your role and rocking it."

And from that day on, the meadow was filled with animals who knew that sometimes, being a great sidekick is just as awesome as being the main event. After all, not everyone has to be the brave hero to make a difference.

Once on a field so wide and vast,
An ass and cock enjoyed repast.
They munched on treats, both grain and grass,
Under the sun’s warm, golden cast.

But then, with roar and mighty sound,
A lion appeared, fierce and unbound.
The cock, with courage, crowed aloud,
For lion's fear of that sound was profound.

Away the lion dashed with fright,
But the ass thought he'd shown his might.
"I scared him off, it’s clear to see!"
And off he trotted, proud as can be.

He followed the lion, feeling grand,
But away from the cock, in a distant land,
The lion turned, with hungry eye,
The ass realized, with a sigh.

It wasn’t him the lion did fear,
His mistake had cost him, oh dear.
For a crow and a bray aren’t quite the same,
And it’s wise to know our true claim to fame.

Share
Feedback

Word Finder

Understanding Questions

Reflection Questions

  1. Why do you think the ass thought that it was him the lion was afraid of?
  2. How do you think the cock felt when the ass ran off after the lion?
  3. Can you think of a time when you or someone else misunderstood a situation and it led to a mistake?
  4. What does this story teach us about understanding our strengths and not overestimating our abilities?
  5. How can we apply the lesson from this story in our own lives to better evaluate situations and understand our limitations?

Fable Quotes

Understanding one's role in a situation is vital for survival.
Pride precedes the fall, for in arrogance lies the blind disregard for truth.
Wisdom is knowing when to rely on knowledge, not assumptions, to avoid the perils of self-deception.
About

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.