Once a very good lion was king of all the animals in the fields and the forests.
He was not angry or cruel or unfair, but only kind and gentle.
During his reign he made a royal proclamation to all the animals.
He laid out rules for a Universal League of animals.
In this League, the wolf would not harm the lamb, nor would the panther harm the kid.
The tiger would not hurt the deer, and the dog would not hurt the hare.
Everyone should live in perfect peace and friendship.
When the hare saw this proclamation, he said, "Oh how I have waited for this day.
How wonderful it is that the weak will stand alongside the strong without fear."
After he said this, the hare ran away for her life.

One day a hare mocked the short feet and slow walk of a tortoise.
The tortoise laughed and said, "you might be as swift as the wind, but I will beat you in a race."
The hare thought this was a crazy idea, so she immediately agreed to race.
Their friend, the fox, chose the course and fixed the finishing line.
When the race began, the tortoise began a slow, steady walk, and didn't stop for a moment until the end.
The hare ran far ahead, but was sure she had lots of extra time, so stopped for a rest.
It was a nice day, and the hare fell asleep under a bush.
At last when the hare woke up, she raced quickly to the end.
However, the tortoise had already finished.
The hare lost the race in spite of her speed.

15. Don't Lose What You Have For Imaginary Gains

A dog with some meat in his mouth was crossing a bridge.
He looked down and saw his reflection in the water.
This foolish dog mistook his reflection for another dog with a much larger piece of meat.
He immediately dropped his own meat and attacked the other dog.
Of course, the reflection was only in the water, and his supper was washed away.

A wolf had a bone stuck in his throat.
He promised a crane a lot of money to put her head in his mouth and pull out the bone.
When the crane had extracted the bone, she asked for payment.
The wolf bared his teeth at the crane and growled, "Think yourself lucky.
You were paid enough when I let you take your head from my jaws without biting it off."

17. Don't Overlook What You Have,
Hoping For What You Want

A mole said to his mother, "I am sure that I can see, mother."
Now moles are blind from birth, but have a wonderful sense of smell.
The mole's mother put a little bit of an expensive herb near the her son.
"What is it?" she asked.
The young mole was too eager to prove that he could see.
He said, "it is a stone."
"Oh dear," said his mother, "I am afraid that you are not only blind, but have lost your sense of smell."