The Lion and the Ass by Esopo (1668)
The story revolves around a partnership between a lion and an ass who go hunting together. The lion takes up a position at the cave entrance while the ass goes inside to scare out the wild goats with loud braying. As the goats emerge, the lion attacks them one by one until they are all dead. The ass then exits the cave and boasts about his role in scaring the goats out, claiming he did a good job. The lion responds by praising the ass's bravery, saying that if he hadn't known the ass was an ass, he would have been frightened himself. This exchange highlights the ass's foolishness and lack of self-awareness, as well as the lion's cunning and ability to manipulate others for his own gain.
By Esopo · First published 1668 · Genre: Fable, Children's Literature, Folk tales · 148 words
First lines
A Lion and an Ass set up as partners and went a-hunting together. In course of time they came to a cave in which there were a number of wild goats. The Lion took up his stand at the mouth of the cave, and waited for them to come out; while the Ass went inside and brayed for all he was worth in order to frighten them out into the open. The Lion struck them down one by one as they appeared; and when the cave was empty the Ass came out and said, "Well, I scared them pretty well, didn't I? " "I should think you did," said the Lion: "why, if I hadn't known you were an Ass, I should have turned and run myself. "
What this Textopian page supports
The Lion and the Ass is listed on Textopian as a fable by Esopo, dated 1668 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Fable
- Author: Esopo
- Date: 1668 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fable, Children's Literature, Folk tales, Animal Fiction
- Length: 148 words
- Structure: 1 section, 1 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Lion and the Ass by Esopo
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Lion and the Ass?
- How does this fable by Esopo fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Fable first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- The Ass And The Mule by Esopo
- The Horse And The Groom by Esopo
- The Horse And His Rider by Esopo
- The Parrot And The Cat by Esopo
- The Lion In Love by Esopo
- The Hound And The Fox by Esopo
Genres
- Fable — Esopo is known for his fables, and 'The Lion and the Ass' follows this pattern by using animal characters to illustrate moral lessons.
- Children's Literature — Like many of Esopo's fables, 'The Lion and the Ass' is often used to teach children moral lessons, making it fall under the genre of children's literature.
- Folk tales — As a story that has been passed down orally over generations before being written down, it also falls under the genre of folktales.
- Animal Fiction — The story also falls under the genre of animal fiction as the main characters are a lion and an ass.
Tags
fable · morality · animal characters · cautionary tale · friendship · betrayal · wisdom · deception · courage · humor · life lessons · adventure