Number three Joy Street

THE HARE AND THE LIONS A Tibetan Tale By VALERY CARRICK

Reading edition

One day a lion met a hare, and was just going to eat him, when the hare began to beg and implore, saying:

“Now what good would I do you, I’m so small and so frail! If you are hungry, I’ll show you the way to a great big fat beast. Only, he has such terrible strength, you might get the worst of it!”

At that the lion got very angry, and said:

“What? Me get the worst of it? Is there ANY beast stronger than I? Show me this beast at once!”

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Black and white illustration of a lion with a stylized, patterned mane looking down into a stone well while a hare sits nearby, gesturing toward it.

“Oh, I do BEG you to take care!” said the hare. “Don’t go and get killed! You don’t know what a fearsome beast he is! And he lives in a WELL!”

“Take me to him at once!” answered the lion.

So the hare led the lion to the well, and the lion began to look down into the well, and his own face looked out at him from the water, and the hare said:

“You see what a fearsome beast he is! You had really better stop where you are. Don’t jump into the well, or he’ll tear you in pieces!”

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Black and white illustration of a hare sitting near a stone well, laughing or yawning with its mouth wide open, while the lion jumps into the well.

“What?” said the lion. “Do you think I’m afraid of him? Then I just will jump!”

“Oh no! Don’t! Please!” begged the hare. And almost before he had done speaking the lion had jumped down the well, and there he stopped.

And, meanwhile, at home the lioness was waiting and waiting in vain for the return of her husband. Every now and 202then she would come out of her cave and have a look round, but could see no sign of him.

Black and white illustration of a lioness emerging from a rocky cave, roaring or baring its teeth at a hare that is hopping away.

All at once the hare appeared in front of the cave, and said:

“How do you do! I’ve brought you a message of greeting from your husband. He himself is ill and can’t get up. He and I had a bit of an argument, and in the end it came to blows. To put the matter in two words: I gave him a thorough good hiding.”

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At that the lioness got very angry and said:

“You wretched, miserable little boaster!” and was just going to catch hold of him, when off he ran.

Now the hare knew of a place in the rock where it was broad on the outside and easy to get in, but narrow on the inside and very hard to get out of, and he dashed straight off there, with the lioness at his heels. And when they got to this cleft in the rock he jumped in.

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Black and white illustration of a hare laughing joyfully while sitting near a large tree trunk, as a lioness dives headfirst into a hollow in the tree.

The lioness, without further thought, jumped in after him, and got stuck in the narrow place. And she could neither move forward nor backward, and there

she

this

very

day.

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Black and white illustration of a young boy sitting on a grassy mound or slope, looking down and touching the grass with one hand.