The Lion, The Camel, The Jackal and The Crow

A powerful lion and his loyal friends sacrifice a lost camel to survive hunger in the jungle.

In a large jungle, there was a strong lion who was the king. He ruled the jungle with fairness. The lion had three friends: a leopard, a jackal, and a crow. They all worked together to keep the jungle peaceful.

One day, a camel got lost and wandered into their part of the jungle. The lion said, "This camel is our guest. We must be kind and not harm him." So, the animals listened to the lion, and the camel started living with them in the jungle.

But soon, something bad happened. The lion got hurt while fighting a wild elephant. He became too weak to hunt and was very hungry. The lion told his friends, "Please find some food for us all."

The leopard, jackal, and crow searched everywhere, but they couldn't find any food. As the sun began to set, they were worried. So, they made a plan.

They went to the camel and said, "Our king is very weak, and we are all hungry. We think it’s best if we offer ourselves to the lion as food, starting with you, since you are the newest member."

The camel, thinking his friends were being kind and brave, agreed. He went to the lion and said, "My king, I offer myself as food so you can feel strong again."

The lion, too hungry to refuse, accepted the camel's offer. The lion and his friends ate the camel, and the jungle stayed peaceful for another day, thanks to the camel’s sacrifice.

A lion and his loyal jackal and crow surrounding a nervous camel in the jungle

Audio available for B1 version

Text Version
Intermediate (B1)

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Word Finder
  1. Ruled:

    Controlled or managed something, like a king does.
  2. Fairness:

    Treating people equally and doing what’s right.
  3. Guest:

    A person or animal welcomed into someone’s place.
  4. Harm:

    To hurt someone or cause damage to something.
  5. Wandered:

    Moved around without a specific direction or purpose.
  6. Weak:

    Not strong; unable to do something because of tiredness.
  7. Hunt:

    To chase and kill animals for food.
  8. Offer:

    To present something for someone to take or use.
  9. Sacrifice:

    Giving up something important to help others.
  10. Peaceful:

    Calm and without fighting or trouble.
Understanding Questions
  1. Who were the lion's three friends in the jungle?
  2. What did the lion tell the other animals to do when the camel arrived in the jungle?
  3. Why did the lion become too weak to hunt?
  4. What was the plan that the leopard, jackal, and crow made when they couldn’t find food?
  5. How did the camel show his loyalty to the lion and his friends?
Reflection Questions
  1. Why do you think the lion decided to protect the camel when it first wandered into their territory?
  2. How did the animals feel when they couldn't find any food?
  3. The leopard, jackal, and crow came up with a plan involving a big sacrifice. How do you feel about their plan?
  4. The camel made a brave decision to help his friends. Can you think of a time when you or someone else made a difficult decision to help others?
  5. This story can teach us about sacrifice and survival. How can we apply these lessons to our everyday life, perhaps in a less extreme way?
Fable Quotes

In the game of survival, choices are often harsh and the stakes high.

Sacrifice is a bitter pill, often swallowed for the sake of survival.

Betrayal is the line crossed when survival outweighs loyalty.

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