Vishnu Sharma
|
India

The Foolish Lion And The Clever Rabbit

A clever rabbit tricks a cruel lion into jumping into a well and saves the forest animals from his terror.
Wisdom
Problem-Solving
Resourcefulness
Panchatantra Fables - The Foolish Lion And The Clever Rabbit
Audio available for B1 version

Once upon a time in a dense forest, there lived a ferocious lion. He was very cruel and used to kill many animals each day without any reason, spreading terror among the inhabitants of the forest. The animals were scared and worried for their lives.

One day, the animals of the forest held a meeting to find a solution to the problem. They decided to make a deal with the lion. They went to the lion and proposed that instead of hunting them all randomly, he should accept one animal each day as his meal. This way, the lion would not have to hunt, and the other animals would live in peace. The lion agreed to their proposal, satisfied with the idea of getting his food without any effort.

As per the agreement, every day, one animal would go to the lion as his meal. This continued for a while, and the animals lived without fear, knowing their turn to be the lion's meal would come eventually. One day, it was a clever rabbit's turn to be the lion's meal. Instead of directly going to the lion, he devised a plan to save himself and the rest of the animals.

The clever rabbit took his own sweet time to reach the lion's den. The lion, hungry and impatient, was furious to see the rabbit arriving late. As the rabbit approached the lion, he calmly explained the reason for his tardiness. The rabbit told the lion that he was not the only rabbit sent for the lion's meal, but there had been six rabbits for him. Unfortunately, on their way to the den, they encountered another, more ferocious lion who demanded the rabbits as his meal. The clever rabbit managed to escape and came to inform the lion about the new threat.

The lion was enraged, thinking that another lion was trying to take over his territory and challenge his authority. He demanded that the rabbit take him to this so-called other lion. The rabbit led the lion to a deep well, claiming that the other lion lived at the bottom of it. The lion peered into the well and saw his reflection in the water, mistaking it for the rival lion. Blinded by anger and pride, the lion roared and jumped into the well to attack the other lion, only to meet his own death by drowning.

With the death of the ferocious lion, the animals of the forest were finally free from his terror. They praised the clever rabbit for his wit and bravery, and peace was restored in the forest.

Once upon a time in a forest as bustling as a toy store before the holidays, lived a lion so bad-tempered, he'd make a crocodile seem like a therapy animal. This guy was so grouchy, flowers wilted when he roared.

The animals couldn't take it anymore. They all gathered for a big forest meeting—imagine a Town Hall, but with paws, tails, and a lot more fur. An eloquent elephant, serving as the MC, said, "Listen, mates! We've got to sort out our 'Lion Situation.' How about we offer him one volunteer a day? He'll be so happy with the easy meal, he'll stop chasing us."

The lion thought, "A buffet without the chase? I'm not lion when I say that sounds purr-fect!"

The animal delivery system was in place. Everyone felt a bit safer, but with a side of nervousness, like a turkey around Thanksgiving. Then came Clever Rabbit's turn. Not keen on being on the menu, he thought, "What would a really smart rabbit like me do?"

Clever Rabbit rocked up late, looking as casual as someone who'd just discovered snooze on an alarm clock. “Where have you been?” growled the lion, his stomach rumbling like a bad karaoke night. “I’m hungrier than a bear who missed breakfast!”

Rabbit, with a twinkle in his eye, replied, “You know, I was on my way with five of my friends, thinking you’d fancy a rabbit feast. But, plot twist! Another lion, even fancier than you, grabbed them for a picnic!"

"Another lion? In MY neck of the woods?" the lion huffed, "Did he have a better mane than me?"

"See for yourself," winked the rabbit, leading him to the well. “He's just down there, probably taking a swim or checking his mane in the reflection."

Gazing into the well, the lion growled at the audacity of the "other" lion staring back. In a fit of vanity and confusion, he dived in, imagining a grand showdown, but ended up with an unplanned swimming lesson instead. SPLASH! End of grumpy lion.

Back in the forest, it was like a big party. The animals had a freedom fest, complete with karaoke and a 'Pin the Tail on the Donkey' game—though the donkey wasn’t thrilled about it.

They lifted Clever Rabbit on their shoulders, chanting, "For he's a jolly good bunny!"

And Rabbit said, "Remember, folks, it’s not about the size of the roar, but the size of the intellect—or something like that."

From then on, the forest was filled with peace, laughter, and yes, really, really bad animal puns.

And they all lived wittily, and hilariously, ever after.

In the heart of the woods, tall trees did stand,
A lion ruled with an iron hand.
Hunting for fun, causing dismay,
Animals feared he’d take them away.

The creatures convened, a plan in their mind,
"A deal with the lion, we must bind!"
"One of us daily, for him to dine,
So others can live, and the sun will shine."

The lion agreed, finding it wise,
Each day an animal met its demise.
Until the rabbit's turn came to pass,
He thought, "I must outwit him, I must be fast."

Late to the lion, the rabbit did show,
Speaking of another lion, tales did grow.
"Another fierce beast, took my kin five,
I barely escaped, barely alive!"

Angry and curious, the lion roared loud,
"Take me to this lion, show me now!"
To an old deep well, the rabbit did steer,
"There, he waits for you," he said with no fear.

Peering inside, the lion did glance,
Seeing his reflection, took his chance.
Into the well, thinking to fight,
But met his end, in the watery night.

In the forest, joy did sprout,
For the rabbit's wits, there was no doubt.
With the lion gone, all lived with glee,
Thanks to the rabbit, the woods were free.

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Understanding Questions

Reflection Questions

  1. Why do you think the lion agreed to the animals' proposal of having one animal delivered to him each day?
  2. The rabbit was clever and devised a plan to save all the animals. Can you think of a time when you had to be clever to solve a problem?
  3. How do you think the other animals felt when the rabbit managed to trick the lion and save them all?
  4. In this story, the lion's anger and pride led to his downfall. What does this teach us about managing our emotions and not letting them control our actions?
  5. How can we use the lesson from this story in our own lives to make wise decisions, even when we're afraid or facing a difficult situation?

Fable Quotes

Wisdom outsmarts physical strength.
In the face of adversity, clever minds find solutions that can dismantle even the mightiest of foes.
In the game of survival, quick wit beats brute strength.
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