“As Your Majesty will see, the falcon did not appreciate the hen’s anxiety,” concluded the storyteller.  The king reflected for a while, then he spoke.  “That is true, but does it matter what the hen thinks? Does the falcon have to worry about the life of a chicken?” Whereupon the storyteller replied, “Indeed, Your Majesty.  It is very important to know what goes on in the minds of the humble.  Witness the fate of that lion.” “Which lion?” asked the king.  The storyteller bowed and resumed his story.

The lion and the jackal. “The animals in the forest lived in constant fear of the lion.  Every day he would strike down and kill an animal after stalking it and pouncing on it.  One day a large delegation confronted the lion, sent by the council of all the Lower Forest animals.

“Their spokesman, a wise old monkey, addressed the lion in the politest phrases.  ‘Your Majesty, we have decided to make your life easier.  You will no longer have to hunt.  Instead, we will send you one from among our ranks for your daily consumption.’ The lion, who was feeling his age, agreed to stop hunting if he received an animal for his dinner every day.  The animals had to throw lots, and the animal who lost had to offer himself up to be devoured.

“One day, it was the jackal’s turn to lose.  He did not relish the prospect of being eaten so he dawdled on the way, racking his brains to find an excuse.  When he finally arrived near the lion’s den, the lion was furious because his stomach was empty.  On seeing the jackal he was disappointed because a jackal is not a lot of food for a hungry lion.  ‘What kept you so long!’ roared he.  ‘With permission, Your Majesty,’ replied the trembling jackal, ‘I had to make a long detour, because there was another lion in the forest threatening me.’ ‘What!’ thundered the lion. ‘Another lion, a robber of the food in my kingdom! I cannot let that be.  Come, bring me to him.  I must challenge and destroy him.’  Obediently, the jackal guided the lion to the crossroads at the edge of the forest where some men had dug a deep well for travelers.  ‘Your Majesty, the other lion lives down here in this hole,’ spoke the jackal, keeping a safe distance.  The lion looked down into the well and saw his own reflection in the water.  This made him so angry that he jumped to attack and drowned miserably.  Lions take little time to think.”

The king listens on

In silence, the young king pondered a while after the tale was finished, then spoke.  “A very true story,” he said.