The Lion and the Hare: A Moral Story

This is an old Aesop fable that depicts that size does not matter when you have the intelligence to beat strength. The hare made a plan to get rid of the lion. What was his plan? Why was the lion not good? Why do all the animals in the jungle fear him? Find out about these interesting characters by reading this full story.

The Hare and the Lion Story in English

Once upon a time, there was a huge jungle. The ruler of this jungle was a fierce lion. Every animal was afraid of his strength and cruelty. The animals had to obey all his orders even if they were harmed doing so.

One day, the lion ordered all the animals and said, “To maintain the safety of your communities, every day, one animal will visit my den and be my prey.”

The animals were astonished by the order made by the lion but they had no choice. They had to listen to what he said or he would kill all the animals at once. Hence, they will have to send a family member every day to let others survive.

Animals started to visit his den one by one every day. The lion was enjoying it as he did not have to hunt and work hard to find prey anymore.

The Hare’s Turn

The animals were not happy with the decision. The lion is using his power and strength to intimidate the animals but they have no choice.

One day, it was the turn of a hare that lived in the same jungle. The hare was sad and did not want to go. All the animals insisted that it would make the lion furious.

The hare was not ready to give his life that easily. He made a plan and did not appear in the lion’s den that day.

The lion was furious and roared in anger. The hare reached the next day.

Seeing him near the den’s entry, he roared in anger and asked for not coming yesterday.

The hare explained, “I was on my way, my lord. I was happy to be your meal but I was chased down by another lion near the well in the jungle. I saved my life yesterday.”

The Hare Explaining the Lion in the Jungle

The lion exclaimed, “What? Is there another lion in my territory? How dare he? Show me where he lives and I will kill him today!”

The hare pretended to be frightened and said, “Yes my lord. I will take you there.”

The Lion’s Fate

The hare took the lion near the well in the jungle. He told the lion, “The lion hides in this well, my lord.”

The lion peeked in the well. The well was not dry and the water in it was still. He saw his reflection and thought it was the other lion.

The lion roared instantly. The reflection roared back but in a deeper voice due to the well. He roared again and warned the lion inside the well. The lion inside the well roared back.

The Lion Roared Seeing his Reflection

The king became impatient and jumped into the well to kill the other one. He did not know how to swim and drowned.

The hare saved all the animals with his wit.

Moral of The Lion and the Hare Story 

The Lion And The Hare Story moral is that intelligence can beat strength and power any day. All one needs is to be patient and use his wit to come out of the situation.

Tips for Parents

The lion was proud of his strength. The hare was a small animal but smarter than the lion. Explain The Lion And The Hare Story with pictures so the children can understand the story's context and imbibe the valuable lesson.