There was one place in the savannas which the
animals liked very much. There was good water and green grass there. But a
strong lion lived there. He killed two or three animals every day. One day the
animals came to the Lion, and one of them began to speak: "Oh dear Lion, it
is not good for you to run and hunt all day long in the savannas. We will send
you one animal for your dinner every day."
"All right," the Lion said, "but you must begin to send me my
dinner now: I am hungry, I must have my dinner every day! If you do not send an
animal to me every day, I shall kill as many of you as I want!"
"Do not kill us, dear Lion. We shall send you an animal every day."
They cast lots, and that day it was an antelope who became the Lion's dinner.
And every day they sent one animal to the Lion.
But the animals were not happy. Each of them thought: "Oh, tomorrow my turn
will come!"
One day it was a Hare's turn to be the Lion's dinner. But the Hare was not
unhappy. He smiled!
"That is good, very good!" the Hare said. "Do not be afraid! The
Lion will not eat me up!"
The Hare ran to the river, jumped into the water and then began to roll in the
mud. He came to the Lion very dirty.
The Lion saw him and became angry.
"But I do not want that dirty animal for my dinner," he cried.
"Oh, dear Lion, I am not your dinner. I had to bring you a hare. But on my
way I met another lion, and he took the hare for himself."
"Is there another lion in the savannas?" asked the Lion.
"Yes, there is. He is big and strong. I think he is