The Lion and the Dolphin

A shining grey head rose out of the waves. It belonged to a dolphin, and the lion who was roaming the shore stopped to stare. "Good day!" he called, puffing out his chest. "I am king of all the beasts on land, and you rule everything in the sea. You and I should be the best of friends!"

"Gladly!" said the dolphin, with a flick of his tail. And so they made a pact, there at the edge of the foam.

Not long after, a wild bull came charging at the lion. They fought up and down the sand, claw against horn, and the bull was huge. The lion turned his head towards the sea and roared. "Dolphin! My friend! Come and help me!"

The dolphin raced for the shore as fast as he could swim. He leapt and he thrashed, and he came as close as the shallow water would let him, but he could not get one fin onto the land.

"Traitor!" roared the lion.

"Do not blame me, my friend," said the dolphin. "Blame Nature. She made me king of the sea, but she gave me no way to live on land."