Once Upon a Time...

In one of the great forests, far from the city, there lived a company of beasts—among them the ravening lion, the striped tiger, the wily fox, and the clever rabbit, and other kinds of beasts besides. They lived in harmony and safety, roaming the green pastures of the forest, eating of its bounty, drinking from its springs, and bathing in its waters—until there came to them a tyrant lion who thought the forest belonged to him alone, to roam and frolic in as he pleased. Whenever he found before him a beast smaller of body than himself, he devoured it without pity or mercy, until no one felt safe any longer from the evil of this ravening lion, and the life of every one of the forest's beasts stood in danger.

One day all the beasts gathered together—all except the lion—and each complained of his plight to the other, and they sat conferring over this danger that threatened every one of them, and over how they might be safe from him whenever they wished to go to the quarter where he dwelt in search of their livelihood!

Opinions multiplied and voices rose until they nearly reached the city, each one fearing for his own life, and the day had nearly passed before they arrived at a solution to satisfy everyone. At last they agreed that the best way was to negotiate with the lion himself and to ask him to accept from them one animal each day, to be his midday meal, on condition that he molest no one else and leave the rest to live in the forest in safety.

When they put this to the ravening lion, he accepted the condition, and he took to sitting at ease in his home until the beasts should bring him one of their number, upon whom the lot had fallen, to be the lion's meal.

The days passed, and the beasts lived on in this state. Then one time the lot fell upon a clever she-rabbit. The rabbit said to her companions: I accept the lot and what my fortune has come to. I will go to the lion, as others before me have gone, to be his meal. But I have one request to make of you!

They said: What is it?

She said: That I go to the lion alone, with none of you beside me. And I shall manage my affair with him myself.

They granted her this condition. When mealtime came, the rabbit set off for the lion's house; but, for a purpose of her own, she resolved to arrive late for her appointment. When she reached him, she found him raging with hunger, foaming and fuming. She prostrated herself before him and said:

O lord of lions, I came to you bringing a fat rabbit, bigger of body than I and tenderer of flesh. And as I was on my way to you, a great lion barred my path. He asked me: Where are you going with this fat rabbit? I said: To the lord of lions and king of the forest, that she may be a delicious meal for him this day. When he heard that from me, he sprang upon me and took the fat rabbit from me and said:

— I have more right to her than he, for I am the lord of lions here! Go and tell him what you have heard from me!

When the ravening lion, lord of lions, heard these words from the rabbit, he flew into a violent rage at the other lion's insolence toward him, and said to her:

— Come with me and show me where this impudent lion lives, and you shall see with your own eyes what my answer to him will be.

Then the clever rabbit was certain that her ruse had taken in the lion, and she rejoiced, for by it she would deliver herself and every beast in the forest. She walked quickly, leading the lion from place to place, until she came to a pool of clear water. She stood at the water's edge, looked into the pool, and said:

— O lord of lions, there is the lion who barred my path. Come and look at him. And there is the fat rabbit standing beside him.

The lion hurried to the edge of the pool and looked into the water, and he saw in it his own image, and near it the image of the clever rabbit. He took it for his rival the lion, with the fat rabbit beside him, and no longer doubted the truth of her words. His anger blazed against the lion, and he sprang upon him meaning to kill him—and drowned in the water!

As for the clever rabbit, she rejoiced greatly at her deliverance from death, and went running to the beasts to bring them the glad news of their deliverance from the tyrant lion.

"Adapted from Kalila and Dimna"