# The Lion and the Hare explained — Aesop's Fables

> Chapter companion for Aesop's Fables by Aesop.

## 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.

## Character check-ins

### 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 lines

> 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._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/fables_se/chapters/the-lion-and-the-hare
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/fables_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/fables_se/chapters