The Kingdom of the Lion

No one had ever known a king like him. The lion never raged. He never bullied. He was as fair and gentle as a king could be, and the whole forest knew it.

One day he sent word across the field and forest. "Let all the birds and beasts come to me!" And they came, on paw and hoof and wing, until the clearing was full.

The lion climbed up on a rock. "Here is my new law," he said. "The wolf will live in peace with the lamb. The panther will live in peace with the little goat. The tiger will live in peace with the stag. The dog will live in peace with the hare. All of us, together, as friends."

A hush fell over the crowd. The hare sat up on his long back legs, and his ears shook.

"Oh," he said, "how I have longed to see this day, when the weak can take their place beside the strong, with nothing to fear!"

And when he had said this, he ran for his life.