Section 131
The Lion and the Ass explained simply
Aesop's Fables by Aesop
Original excerpt
Excerpt preview
A Lion and an set up as partners and went a-hunting together. In course of time they came to a cave in which there were a number of wild goats. The Lion took up his stand at the mouth of the cave, and waited for them to come out; while the Ass went inside and brayed for...
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Public-domain original
A Lion and an set up as partners and went a-hunting together. In
course of time they came to a cave in which there were a number of
wild goats. The Lion took up his stand at the mouth of the cave, and
waited for them to come out; while the Ass went inside and brayed for
all he was worth in order to frighten them out into the open. The Lion
struck them down one by one as they appeared; and when the cave was
empty the Ass came out and said, "Well, I scared them pretty well,
didn't I?" "I should think you did," said the Lion: "why, if I hadn't
known you were an Ass, I should have turned and run myself."
Public-domain original text shown for study context. Underlined terms can be tapped for simple reader notes.
What happens here
A lion uses an ass’s noise to frighten prey, then dismisses the ass’s pride.
Why this scene matters
This fable shows that a small role in success should not be mistaken for full power.
Characters in this scene
- Lion: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
- the Ass: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
Simple story version
The ass brays to scare animals toward the lion. He becomes proud, but the lion knows who did the real hunting.