The Lion and the Clever Rabbit
Classical Stories · No. 54 — The smallest animal defeats the king of the forest.
- Classical Stories
- 40 min
- Ages 8–13
- 6 chapters
About this audiobook
A fierce lion hunts so wildly that the terrified animals of the forest make a deal: rather than have him kill many each day, they will send one animal to him for dinner, if only he will stop the carnage. The lottery goes on until at last it is the clever little rabbit's turn. The rabbit takes his time, arriving late and calm, and tells the furious lion he was delayed by another lion who claimed to be king of the forest. Enraged, the lion demands to see this rival — and the rabbit leads him to a deep well, where the lion peers in, sees his own reflection glaring back, roars, and leaps in to fight it.
Why it's worth a listen
A proud lion terrorizes the forest until the animals strike a bargain: they will send him one dinner a day if he stops the slaughter. When the little rabbit's turn comes, he saunters up late, unbothered, with a story about 'another lion' down a well — and leads the bully straight to his own reflection. The Panchatantra's classic proof that wit beats muscle.
A question to keep
When something big and strong is bullying everyone, can the smallest one still win — and how?
Chapters
- The Shadow Over the Canopy
- The Hardest Bargain
- The Slowest Walk in the World
- A Whisper of Rivals
- The Deep, Still Water
- A Question to Keep