The Clever Little Hare and the Mighty Lion
A Panchatantra Tale for Young Children
Chapter 1: The Scary Lion
Once upon a time, in a beautiful forest filled with tall trees and colorful flowers, there lived a huge, scary lion named Roary. He had a golden mane that shone in the sunlight and teeth as sharp as daggers.
ROAR! Roary’s mighty voice echoed through the forest every morning. “I am the king of this jungle!” he would bellow. “And I am SO hungry!”
The poor forest animals were terrified. Every day, Roary would stomp through the forest, hunting and eating whoever he could catch. The rabbits hid in their burrows, the deer ran as fast as they could, and even the wise old owl stayed hidden in his tree.
“We can’t live like this anymore!” squeaked a tiny mouse to his friends. “Roary is eating us all up!”
“Help! He’s coming!” cried a little rabbit as she dove into her hole.
THUMP, THUMP, THUMP! Roary’s heavy paws shook the ground as he prowled through the forest, looking for his next meal.
Chapter 2: The Clever Plan
All the animals gathered in a secret meeting behind the big banyan tree. There were rabbits, deer, monkeys, peacocks, and many others. They whispered and chattered nervously.
“What can we do?” asked a worried deer, her voice trembling. “He’s too strong and too fast!”
“We need to think of something quickly!” hooted the wise old owl.
Suddenly, a small, fluffy hare named Hop stepped forward. Even though he was the smallest animal there, his eyes sparkled with intelligence.
“I have an idea!” Hop announced bravely. “Let’s make a deal with Roary. Instead of him hunting us every day, we’ll send one animal to him each day. That way, most of us will be safe!”
The animals gasped. “But who will go speak to him?” asked a nervous monkey.
“I will!” said Hop courageously. “Don’t worry – I have a plan!”
THUMP, THUMP, THUMP! Hop’s little heart was beating fast as he hopped toward Roary’s cave. The lion was lying under a shady rock, his tail swishing impatiently.
“Your Majesty,” Hop said politely, bowing low. “We forest animals have come up with a plan that will make your life much easier!”
Roary’s eyes lit up with interest. “Oh? Tell me more, little hare!”
“Instead of you having to hunt every day, we will send one animal to you each morning. You can eat without any effort at all!”
Roary licked his lips. “Hmm, that does sound convenient. But what if you don’t keep your promise?”
“We give you our word, Your Majesty. One animal every single day!”
“Very well!” Roary agreed with a satisfied grunt. “But remember – if you’re even ONE day late, I’ll eat EVERYONE in the forest!”
Chapter 3: The Days Pass By
From that day on, the animals kept their promise. Each morning, they would sadly choose one of them to go to Roary. The lion was happy because he didn’t have to work for his meals anymore.
“This is the life!” Roary would say, stretching lazily in the sun. “Food delivered right to my door!”
Days passed, and it was finally Hop’s turn. But the clever little hare had been thinking and planning all this time.
“I have an idea to save us all!” Hop announced to his friends. “Trust me!”
“But Hop,” worried the deer, “what if your plan doesn’t work? Roary will eat all of us!”
“Don’t worry,” Hop said with a confident smile. “Sometimes being small and smart is better than being big and strong!”
Instead of going to Roary in the morning, Hop waited until the afternoon. He wanted the lion to be very, very hungry and angry.
“Where is Hop?” the animals wondered. “He should have gone to Roary by now!”
But Hop was hiding behind a tree, watching the sun move across the sky. “Just a little longer,” he whispered to himself.
Chapter 4: The Trick Begins
When the sun was high in the sky, Hop slowly hopped toward the lion’s cave.
ROAR! “WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?” Roary thundered when he saw the little hare. His stomach was growling loudly. “You’re LATE! And you’re so tiny – you won’t even make a proper meal!”
Hop pretended to be frightened and out of breath. He panted heavily and looked around nervously.
“Oh, Your Majesty! I’m so sorry! Something terrible happened!”
“What happened?” Roary demanded, his eyes flashing with anger.
“Well,” Hop said dramatically, “there were actually TWO of us coming to you today – me and my friend. But on the way, we met another lion who said HE was the king of this forest!”
Roary’s mane bristled with fury. “ANOTHER LION? In MY forest? What did he look like?”
“He was huge, Your Majesty! Even bigger than you! He had enormous teeth and claws, and when he roared, the whole forest shook!”
“IMPOSSIBLE!” Roary roared so loudly that birds flew out of the trees. “I am the only king here! Where is this fake lion?”
Hop’s eyes twinkled mischievously. “He lives in a palace made of stone, Your Majesty. It’s not far from here. He ate my friend and said he was going to eat you too!”
Roary was now absolutely furious. His whole body was trembling with rage. “Show me where this pretender lives! I’ll show him who the real king is!”
“Yes, Your Majesty! Follow me!” Hop said, hopping ahead quickly.
Chapter 5: The Final Trick
Hop led the angry lion through the forest until they reached an old, deep well. The well was surrounded by stone walls and was filled with crystal-clear water.
“He lives down there, Your Majesty!” Hop whispered, pointing to the well. “But be careful – he’s very dangerous!”
Roary crept up to the well and peered down into the water. What he saw made him even angrier!
There, looking back at him, was another lion! It had the same golden mane, the same fierce eyes, and the same sharp teeth!
“So YOU’RE the one who thinks he’s the king!” Roary roared at his reflection in the water.
ROAR! came the echo from the well.
“How dare you roar back at me!” Roary bellowed even louder.
ROAR! The echo came back even stronger.
“That’s it!” Roary snarled. “I’ll show you who’s the real king of this forest!”
Without thinking, the furious lion jumped into the well to attack his reflection.
SPLASH!
Poor Roary couldn’t swim! He splashed and struggled in the deep water, but he couldn’t climb out of the smooth stone walls.
“Help! Help!” he cried, but it was too late.
Hop peered down into the well and shook his head. “Goodbye, Roary. You were defeated by your own anger and pride.”
The clever little hare hopped back to the forest as fast as he could. All the animals were waiting nervously.
“What happened, Hop?” asked the worried deer.
“We’re all safe now!” Hop announced happily. “Roary won’t bother us anymore!”
The animals cheered and danced with joy. They lifted Hop up on their shoulders and celebrated.
“How did you do it?” asked the wise old owl.
Hop smiled. “I used something more powerful than teeth and claws – I used my brain! Sometimes, being clever is much better than being strong.”
From that day on, all the animals lived peacefully in the forest. They learned an important lesson: that wisdom and quick thinking can overcome even the mightiest enemies.
And whenever young animals heard this story, they remembered that no matter how small you are, you can do great things if you use your mind!
The End
Moral of the Story: Intelligence and wit can triumph over brute strength. Sometimes the smallest person can solve the biggest problems by thinking cleverly!
Fun Questions for Young Readers:
Think About the Story:
- 🦁 About the Characters: How do you think the animals felt when they heard Roary’s loud roar every morning?
- 🐰 What Would You Do? If you were one of the forest animals, what would you do to stay safe from the scary lion?
- 🧠 Smart Thinking: Do you think Hop’s plan was a good idea? Why or why not?
- ⏰ Notice Something: Why do you think Hop waited until the afternoon instead of going in the morning?
- 😮 Big Question: Was there really another lion in the forest? What do you think Hop is up to?
- 🦁 Think Like Roary: Why do you think the lion got so angry when he heard about another lion?
- 🏆 Amazing Moment: How did Hop trick the lion? What did Roary see in the well?
- 💭 Deep Thinking: Why do you think Roary jumped into the well? What could he have done differently?
- 🌟 Be Like Hop: Can you think of a time when being smart and clever helped you solve a problem?
Fun Activities:
🎨 Draw Your Favorite Scene: Which part of the story would you like to draw? The scary lion, the clever hare, or the well?
- 🗣️ Act It Out: Try making the different sounds from the story – Roary’s loud roar, Hop’s gentle voice, and the animals’ worried whispers!
- 🤝 Share Your Thoughts: What did you learn from this story? How can you use your brain to solve problems like Hop did?
Discussion Questions for Parents and Kids:
- 👨👩👧👦 Family Talk: What does it mean to be truly brave? Was Hop brave even though he was small?
- 🌈 Important Lesson: Sometimes people who seem scary are just angry or scared themselves. What do you think made Roary so mean?
- 🎯 Real Life Connection: Can you think of ways to solve problems with your words and ideas instead of fighting?
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