The Hare and His Ears
The Lion had been badly hurt by the pointy things of a Goat, which he was eating. He was very angry to think that any animal that he chose for a meal, should be so bold as to wear such dangerous things as pointy things to scratch him while he ate.
So he commanded that all animals with pointy things should leave his domains within twenty-four hours.
The command struck terror among the beasts. All those who were so unfortunate as to have pointy things, began to pack up and move out.
Even the Hare, who, as you know, has no pointy things and so had nothing to fear, passed a very restless night, dreaming awful dreams about the fearful Lion.
And when he came out of the warren in the early morning sunshine, and there saw the shadow cast by his long and pointed ears, a terrible fright seized him.
“Goodbye, neighbor Cricket,” he called. “I’m off. He will certainly make out that my ears are pointy things, no matter what I say.”
Moral of the story
Be cautious: Be careful not to give others reasons to misunderstand or harm you.
Don’t judge too quickly: Sometimes, what we fear might be just a misunderstanding.
Questions for the children
- Why do you think the Lion was angry at the animals with horns?
- Have you ever been afraid of being misunderstood? What happened?
Post Note: This story is based on Aesop’s fable, written around 600 BC. In this retelling, we’ve used simpler words to make the story easier for young readers to understand.
