THE BLIND LION AND THE MOUSE
Once upon a time there was a lion that spread terror and death all over his territory.
He would slaughter animals even when he was full up. He wouldn’t allow the other animals near the food he had hunted, preferring to see it rot in the sun.
One day he was fighting a tiger, and was hit so hard in the face that he lost both eyes.
Now that the lion could no longer see he had to undergo all sorts of terrible humiliations, and as he could no longer find food for himself, he ended up in such a poor state that you could count the bones on him.
Enfeebled by hunger, he asked a little mouse for help in guiding him while hunting, in return for a part of the spoils. But the mouse got up on its little hind legs and said: “You have never had the slightest bit of common-sense or diplomacy; senseless violence has always been your only aim. Not even when your stomach was full of blood and meat did you stop killing, when this meant watching your prey dry up and rot in the sun, because you had forbidden anyone else from eating! And now…now…you didn’t think about this did you? That a strong lion would need the help
of a wretched little mouse!
I have been round and around in a lot of lovely carcasses belonging to many, many animals: but to tell you the truth, never in a lion’s! So hurry up and kick the bucket, because I simply can’t wait to experience this!”