The Sick Lion and the Fox by Jean de La Fontaine

Sick in his den, the lion commands that deputies from every kind of vassal come to his court, promising in writing that none will be harmed. Delegates from every tribe obey, but the foxes refuse to appear. One fox explains that the tracks leading to the court all point inward, while none show any beast returning. Though the lion’s promise may be trustworthy, the foxes can see how visitors enter but not how they leave.

By Jean de La Fontaine · First published 1668 · Genre: Fable, Animal Fable, Didactic Literature · 234 words

First lines

Sick in his den, we understand, / The king of beasts sent out command / That of his vassals every sort / Should send some deputies to court -- / With promise well to treat / Each deputy and suite; / On faith of lion, duly written, / None should be scratch'd, much less be bitten. / The royal will was executed, / And some from every tribe deputed; / The foxes, only, would not come. / One thus explain'd their choice of home: -- / 'Of those who seek the court, we learn, / The tracks upon the sand / Have one direction, and / Not one betokens a return. / This fact begetting some distrust, / His majesty at present must / Excuse us from his great levee. / His plighted word is good, no doubt; / But while how beasts get in we see, / We do not see how they get out. '[1]

• Open reader

Similar titles

• The Animals Sending Tribute To Alexander by Jean De La Fontaine
• The Two Mules by Jean De La Fontaine
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• The Wolf The Goat And The Kid by Jean De La Fontaine
• The Raven And The Fox by Jean De La Fontaine
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Genres

• Fable — This brief animal tale uses a lion and foxes to convey a clear moral lesson about recognizing danger, distrustful rulers, and evidence of past victims.
• Animal Fable — Speaking animals act as human social types: the lion represents predatory authority, while the fox represents cautious intelligence and practical judgment.
• Didactic Literature — The poem is designed to instruct readers, teaching that one should judge promises by observable consequences rather than accept powerful figures' assurances blindly.
• Moral Tale — Its plot culminates in an implicit ethical warning: avoid entering situations from which others have visibly failed to return.

Tags

French fable · verse narrative · animal allegory · Aesopian tradition · seventeenth-century France · royal court · lion king · foxes · sick ruler · predatory power · deceptive promises · political distrust

What this Textopian page supports

The Sick Lion and the Fox is listed on Textopian as a fable by Jean de La Fontaine, 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: Jean de La Fontaine
• Date: 1668 CE
• Language: English
• Genres: Fable, Animal Fable, Didactic Literature, Moral Tale, Allegory
• Length: 234 words
• Structure: 1 section, 2 paragraphs
• Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

Good citation fit

• Work identity for The Sick Lion and the Fox by Jean de La Fontaine
• Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
• Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
• Readability and classroom-planning context
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More by Jean de La Fontaine

• To Monseigneur the Dauphin (1668)
• The Grasshopper and the Ant (1668)
• The Raven and the Fox (1668)
• The Frog that Wished to be as Big as the Ox (1668)
• The Two Mules (1668)
• The Wolf and the Dog (1668)
• The Heifer, the Goat, and the Sheep, in Company with the Lion (1668)
• The Wallet (1668)
• All works by Jean de La Fontaine