Section 95
The Fox and the Lion explained simply
Aesop's Fables by Aesop
Original excerpt
Excerpt preview
A Fox who had never seen a Lion one day met one, and was so terrified at the sight of him that he was ready to die with fear. After a time he met him again, and was still rather frightened, but not nearly so much as he had been when he met him first. But when he...
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Public-domain original
A Fox who had never seen a Lion one day met one, and was so terrified
at the sight of him that he was ready to die with fear. After a time
he met him again, and was still rather frightened, but not nearly so
much as he had been when he met him first. But when he saw him for the
third time he was so far from being afraid that he went up to him and
began to talk to him as if he had known him all his life.
Public-domain original text shown for study context.
What happens here
A fox becomes less afraid of a lion after seeing him several times.
Why this scene matters
This fable teaches that familiarity can reduce fear.
Characters in this scene
- Fox: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
- the Lion: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
Simple story version
The fox is terrified at first sight of the lion. After repeated meetings, he becomes calm enough to speak.