In a forest, many animals lived together in peace. There were hares, antelopes, boars, bears, elephants, foxes, monkeys, buffaloes, etc. But there was a wicked lion in the forest. All animals were afraid of him. He attacked and killed them even when he was not really hungry.
The animals were frightened and fed up. They could not even go safely to the ponds or rivers to drink water as he would attack them suddenly. They met to discuss the problem and decided to go to him and make a request.
“Sir,” they said, “We know you need to eat us to in order to satisfy your hunger. But do you think we could reach an agreement with you? One of us will come daily to your den as your dinner. That way you won’t be hungry and we would feel safer too.”
“Oh, good idea!” thought the lion, “I won’t have to search for food every day!” So he agreed. “But the day you fail, I’ll kill and eat all of you,” he warned. The animals quickly promised to come regularly.
Every day, the animals drew lots to decide who was to be sent that day to feed the cruel lion. And they sent the selected animal as promised to be eaten by the lion.
Now one day, a hare was selected as the lion’s dinner. The little fellow, sad and frightened, set off through the forest to the lion’s den. He walked along wondering if there was any way he could outwit the lion. He came to a well on the way, and sat there for a while in deep thought. Looking at his reflection in the well, he suddenly got an idea about how to destroy the lion.
He walked slowly along and reached the lion’s den only by sunset. By then, the hungry lion was in a rage. The sight of the small hare made him even more angry. Furiously, the lion asked him why he was so late.
The hare put on a meek and humble look and said, “Sir, I was coming through the forest when I was stopped by a huge lion. I told him I was your dinner but he refused to believe me. He claimed to be the king of the forest. That’s why I got late.”
“Where is this lion? He is a fraud. Take me to him!”
The little hare ran along leading the lion. On the way, he told the lion that the fraud would have hidden himself, afraid of the real king of the jungle!
Reaching the well, he pointed to the fraud and told the lion, “Sir, I think he’s hidden himself there out of fear!” The lion looked in and saw his own reflection. He roared ferociously and his reflection roared back at him as his voice echoed.
Blinded by rage, the lion leapt into the well to kill the other lion and was drowned! The clever hare had succeeded!
