Aesop
|
Greece

The Lion in A Farmyard

A lion entered a farm, the farmer trapped it but regretted it as the lion attacked and destroyed his animals.
Regret
Consequences
Responsibility
Aesop's Fables - The Lion in A Farmyard
Audio available for B1 version

One day, a big lion wandered into a farm. The farmer, thinking he could trap the lion, quickly closed the gate. Soon, the lion discovered he was trapped and became furious. He attacked the sheep, taking them down one by one, and then went after the large oxen.

The farmer, scared for his life, quickly opened the gate to set the lion free. After the lion left, the farmer looked around at the chaos in his farmyard. He was upset about all his lost sheep and oxen.

His wife, who had seen everything, said, "You should have known better. You get scared just hearing a lion's roar from afar. Why did you think it was a good idea to trap one in our farm?" The farmer looked around his ruined farmyard and realized that his wife was right.

Once upon a time, a big lion strutted into a farm like he was the star of the show. "Wow, look at this place! A playground just for me!" he thought, eyeing all the animals around.

The farmer, trying to be sneaky, quickly closed the gate. "Aha! Gotcha! I'm like a superhero farmer!"

But the lion soon realized he couldn't leave. "Hey, hey, hey! What's going on? I'm the main event, you can't keep me in here!"

Feeling a bit grumpy, the lion decided it was time for some action. He went over to the sheep and said, "Boo! Scared ya, didn't I?" as he scared them all away. Then he looked at the big cows. "Ooo, you guys look strong! But not strong enough!"

The farmer, who was watching all this, suddenly felt very scared. "Oh no, what did I do?"

So, he ran to the gate as fast as he could and opened it wide. "Okay, Mr. Lion, you can go. Please go!"

The lion walked out, flipping his big hair back and forth. "That's more like it! Took you long enough!"

Looking at the mess that was once his peaceful farm, the farmer was filled with "uh-oh" feelings.

His wife, who had watched the whole silly show, said, "You know, you get scared watching cartoons with lions in them. What made you think you could keep a real one in our yard?"

The farmer looked at his messy farm and said, "You're right. Next time, I'll stick to easier stuff. Like catching butterflies or blowing bubbles."

And just like that, the farm went back to its peaceful ways, with the farmer deciding that lions were best appreciated from a distance.

A big lion came to visit a farm one day,
He looked around, thought he'd like to stay.
The farmer thought he'd trap the lion in,
But soon found out where trouble would begin.

The lion roared and chased the sheep away,
Even big oxen had no wish to stay.
The farmer shook, his courage took a slide,
He opened up the gate and stepped aside.

The lion left, the farm a total mess,
The farmer knew his plan caused all the stress.
His wife said, "Lions aren't just big and cute,
They roar and chase; it's really not a hoot."

The farmer sighed, his farm was now a sight,
His wife was right, his plan was not so bright.
A lion's not a pet to keep at bay,
And that's a lesson learned the hard, hard way.

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Understanding Questions

Reflection Questions

  1. Why do you think the farmer thought it was a good idea to trap the lion in his farmyard?
  2. How do you think the farmer felt when he saw the damage the lion caused to his farm?
  3. What do you think the farmer learned from this experience?
  4. Can you remember a time when you or someone else made a decision without thinking about the possible consequences, like the farmer did?
  5. How can we use the lesson from this story to help us make better decisions in our own lives?

Fable Quotes

Regret is the bitter fruit of hasty decisions.
Actions without foresight bring forth consequences that can ravage what we hold dear.
When we make decisions, we must also be ready to bear the results of our actions.
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