The Lion and the Hare by Esopo
The Lion and the Hare is a fable written by Esopo. The story goes as follows: A lion was sleeping in the forest when a hare passed by. The lion woke up and wanted to eat the hare, but the hare begged for mercy, saying that he was just passing through and didn't want to be eaten. The lion agreed to let the hare go, but warned him that if he ever saw him again, he would eat him. The hare was overjoyed and thanked the lion for sparing his life. However, as he was leaving, he couldn't help but feel a sense of mockery towards the lion, knowing that he had just tricked him into sparing his life. The moral of the story is that "slow and steady wins the race," as the hare was able to outsmart the lion by pretending to be weak and vulnerable.
By Esopo · First published 1667 · Genre: Children's Literature, Fable, Folklore · 122 words
First lines
A Lion found a Hare sleeping in her form, and was just going to devour her when he caught sight of a passing stag. Dropping the Hare, he at once made for the bigger game; but finding, after a long chase, that he could not overtake the stag, he abandoned the attempt and came back for the Hare. When he reached the spot, however, he found she was nowhere to be seen, and he had to go without his dinner. "It serves me right," he said; "I should have been content with what I had got, instead of hankering after a better prize. "
What this Textopian page supports
The Lion and the Hare is listed on Textopian as a fable by Esopo, dated 1667 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: 1667 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Children's Literature, Fable, Folklore, Mythology, Fantasy
- Length: 122 words
- Structure: 1 section, 1 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Lion and the Hare by Esopo
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Lion and the Hare?
- How does this fable by Esopo fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Children's Literature first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- The Lioness And The Vixen by Esopo
- The Crab And The Fox by Esopo
- The Fox And The Snake by Esopo
- The Wild Boar And The Fox by Esopo
- The Lion The Fox And The Ass by Esopo
- The Hound And The Hare by Esopo
Genres
- Children's Literature — The story is simply written and carries morals and life-lessons, which is typical of children's literature. The use of animals as characters is also a common characteristic of children's literature.
- Fable — The story is a fable, where animals that talk and behave like humans to deliver a moral. This is a characteristic of the author, Esopo, who is known for his fables.
- Folklore — The story mimics the style and traditional settings typical of folklore, with its moral teachings that are passed to children as part of their cultural heritage.
- Mythology — Although not a major genre for this book, it includes mythical animals and beings which is common in Mythological literature.
Tags
fable · animal characters · morality · wisdom · deception · cunning · friendship · survival · nature · conflict · humor · lesson