Aesop's Fables · Chapter
The Lion and the Ass explained
A Lion and an Ass form a hunting partnership.
What happens
A Lion and an Ass form a hunting partnership. The Ass enters a cave to frighten wild goats out by braying, while the Lion waits at the entrance to strike them down. Afterward, the Ass boasts about his contribution, but the Lion dryly remarks that only knowledge of the Ass's true nature prevented him from fleeing as well.
Themes in this chapter
Pride and Folly
The Ass's boastful pride is undercut by the Lion's ironic comment, revealing the Ass's foolish self-importance.
Appearance vs. Reality
The Ass appears to be a fearsome hunter but is merely a noisy fool; the Lion sees through the pretense.
Characters to notice
Key passages
“Well, I scared them pretty well, didn’t I?”
The Ass boasts about his role in the hunt.
Highlights the Ass's inflated sense of contribution.
“I should think you did: why, if I hadn’t known you were an Ass, I should have turned and run myself.”
The Lion sarcastically agrees, implying the Ass's braying was so obnoxious it would frighten anyone—except the Lion knows the Ass is harmless.
Delivers the moral about self-deception and the value of knowing one's true nature.