← All chapters

Aesop's Fables · Chapter

The Lion and the Hare explained

A Lion finds a Hare sleeping and prepares to eat it, but abandons the Hare to chase a passing stag.

What happens

A Lion finds a Hare sleeping and prepares to eat it, but abandons the Hare to chase a passing stag. After failing to catch the stag, he returns for the Hare only to find it gone, and he learns a lesson about contentment.

Themes in this chapter

  • Wisdom and Foolishness

    The Lion's foolish decision to abandon a sure meal for a larger prize teaches the wisdom of being content with what one has.

  • Perseverance and Effort

    The Lion's failed chase of the stag highlights the folly of abandoning a certain gain for an uncertain, greater effort.

Characters to notice

  • The Lion

    The Lion finds a Hare but abandons it to chase a stag, only to lose both.

  • The Hare

    The Hare is initially found sleeping by the Lion, but escapes while the Lion chases the stag.

Key passages

  • “It serves me right,” he said; “I should have been content with what I had got, instead of hankering after a better prize.”

    The Lion admits his mistake, acknowledging he should have been satisfied with the Hare rather than coveting the stag.

    The moral of the fable, emphasizing the danger of greed and the value of contentment.

Read this chapter freeBook page
Aesop's Fables — The Lion and the Hare Explained