In the lush forests of ancient Thailand, where tall teak trees brushed the clouds and rivers shimmered like ribbons of light, there once lived a lion who called himself the King of Beasts. His roar echoed through the valleys, and every creature trembled at his name. But this lion’s heart was filled not with noble courage, but with greed and cruelty.
Each morning, he hunted the animals without mercy until, desperate for peace, the forest dwellers gathered to plead for their lives. “O mighty lion,” they said, “if you spare us from needless slaughter, we will send one animal each day for your meal.”
The lion, pleased to be obeyed without effort, agreed. From that day on, one trembling creature sometimes a deer, sometimes a boar was chosen to walk the sorrowful path to his den. The forest grew silent and fearful, and only the lion’s laughter broke the stillness.
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One morning, it was the turn of a small, soft-furred rabbit. Though the other animals pitied him, the rabbit stood tall, his eyes gleaming with quiet wisdom. “Do not weep for me,” he told them. “If I am clever enough, this will be the last day any of us shall fear the lion.”
Carrying his courage like a hidden weapon, the rabbit set off. But he did not go straight to the lion’s den. He waited until the sun was high and the lion’s hunger burned. At last, panting and dusty, he reached the den’s entrance.
The lion’s roar shook the trees. “Why are you late, little fool?” he bellowed. “You dare keep your king waiting for his meal?”
The rabbit bowed deeply. “Forgive me, great one,” he said in a trembling voice. “It was not my fault. Another lion stopped me on the way and claimed to be king of this forest. He said he would devour me himself and challenged your power.”
The lion’s eyes blazed with fury. “Another lion? In my forest?” He rose to his full height, his mane bristling like fire. “Take me to him at once! I will show him who is master here.”
The rabbit nodded and led the enraged lion through the forest, down winding paths, until they came to a deep well filled with clear, still water. “He lives here,” whispered the rabbit, pointing into the well. “He boasted that you were too afraid to face him.”
The lion leaned over and peered into the water. There, in the mirrored surface, he saw another lion staring back fangs bared, eyes fierce. Thinking it his rival, he roared, and his echo thundered back from the depths.
“Come out and fight me!” he bellowed. But the “other lion” roared too. In his fury, the lion leapt into the well and vanished beneath the surface with a splash.
The forest fell silent for a heartbeat. Then the rabbit smiled and hopped to the edge, whispering, “That was your pride staring back at you.”
When the animals learned what had happened, joy filled the woods. Birds sang freely again, deer danced in the glades, and the air felt lighter. They crowned the rabbit their hero, not for his strength, but for his wisdom and courage.
From that day forward, the animals remembered: true power lies not in muscles or claws, but in a mind guided by calm and reason.
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Moral Lesson
The story of The Wise Rabbit and the Lion teaches that intelligence, courage, and patience can overcome even the fiercest strength. Wisdom guided by compassion always defeats pride and cruelty.
Knowledge Check
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Why did the animals agree to send one creature each day to the lion?
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To protect themselves from being hunted by the lion.
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What was the rabbit’s plan to stop the lion?
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He tricked the lion into jumping into a well by making him believe another lion lived there.
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What did the lion see in the well?
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His own reflection, which he mistook for another lion.
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How did the rabbit defeat the lion?
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He used cleverness and calm reasoning instead of force.
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What lesson did the forest animals learn?
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That wisdom and courage can conquer pride and violence.
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What is the main moral of the story?
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Intelligence and virtue are stronger than arrogance and brute power.
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Source
Adapted from the Thai folktale “The Rabbit and the Lion” in Thai Tales: Folktales of Thailand, collected and retold by Supaporn Vathanaprida (1994), Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited.
Cultural Origin: Thailand (Buddhist Jātaka and rural oral storytelling tradition)
