The Lion Going to War
Jean de La Fontaine | France
A lion assigns every animal a task to protect the forest, showing that everyone has a unique talent.
Once upon a time, a lion was planning something very important. He wanted to protect the forest from invaders who might try to take over their land. To do this, he called a big meeting with all the animals and asked them to help. Each animal had a special job to do.
The lion told the elephant, “You are strong. You will carry the heavy tools we need to build defenses around the forest.”
To the bear, he said, “You will help us by fighting bravely if there’s trouble.”
The fox was given a clever job. “You will make plans and tricks to confuse our enemies,” the lion said.
The monkey was told, “You will entertain and distract them with your funny tricks.”
But then someone spoke up. “What about the donkeys? They’re not smart. And the hares? They’re too scared and run away all the time!”
The lion shook his head. “No,” he said. “Everyone has a talent we can use. The donkey will be our trumpet. His loud braying will scare our enemies. And the hare? She’s fast! She will carry important messages back to us.”
The lion smiled and added, “A wise leader knows that everyone is important. Every creature has something special to offer.”
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