Lion and Hare

A lion ruling over a jungle.  He killed deer, boars, rabbits, bison's, etc. and ate them.  Yet he was not happy with his kill.The victims family too were unhappy.  They all met the lion one day in a delegation. 

“Oh, lord,” they said, 

“why do you kill so many animals every day when you need only one for your food? Let us come to an understanding. From today, you need not move from your place. We will send one animal every day to you. That will spare you the trouble of hunting and us our lives.”

“Our ancestors have said that the duty of the king is to rule and not to destroy.  If you protect the people they in turn will come to the rescue of the king in times of need.”

The lion accepted this argument ,

“What you say is true,  so I accept this arrangement.  But if you fail to send one animal every day, I shall kill all of you.”

“The animals agreed to this and began roaming the forest without fear and sending one of their own folk to the lion for his food. One day it was the turn of a hare.  He started leisurely on his last journey.  On his way he saw a big well peeped inside it.  He saw his own reflection inside the well.  Suddenly an idea struck the hare.  He decided to somehow tempt the lion to the well and persuade him to jump into it.  It was late in the evening when the hare reached the lion's den. The lion was hungry and so angry and decided to kill all the animals.   At that time the hare came and knelt before him.  The lion roared angrily and said,

“First, you are too small for my lunch. Second, you have come late. I shall kill you and all the other animals too,” the lion warned the hare.  The hare shivered in fear and said to the lion in a soft voice,

“My lord, it is not my fault or the fault of other animals.”

The lion roared and asked the hare,

“Let me know who delayed you and I will kill him at once.”

“Our folks have decided that it is my turn today. Since I was too small in size to  make a full meal, they have sent three more hares with me for your meal.  As we were all coming to you, a big lion came out of his den and demanded to know where we were all going.”  For this we replied that,

“We are all going to the lion king as his meal according to our arrangement. 

The big lion said that this jungle belonged to him and that all animals obeyed its orders. He also told us that you are a cheat and asked us to bring you to him.  He said he wanted a fight. Whoever wins the fight will become the king.  He commanded me to summon you to his fort. That's why I am late. It is now for you to decide, what to do” the hare told the lion.

The lion got very angry and asked the hare to take him to the other lion.  The hare took the lion king to the well and made him peep inside the well.

The lion peeped inside and saw his own reflection inside the well.  The lion roared loudly looking at the reflection.  His voice echoed from inside the well and the lion thought it was the other lion roaring.

This annoyed the lion king and he jumped inside the well and drowned.  In this way the jungle was saved of the evil king because of the hare smartness.

The animals of the jungle lived happily ever after.