What is the moral of "The Lion and the Clever Hare"?

That intelligence is stronger than brute force, and that pride can be used against the proud. The hare never fights the lion; she uses his own arrogance and anger to lead him to the well.

Why does the hare arrive late?

Because the delay is part of the plan — it makes the lion angry and hungry before she speaks, so that he is ready to believe an insult and act without thinking. A hare who arrives on time and then tells the story would not be believed.

What does the lion see in the well?

His own reflection, though the story should not say so directly at that moment. Letting the reader realise it a line before the lion does is what makes the ending satisfying, so describe what he sees rather than explaining it.

English · Completing Story

The Lion and the Clever Hare

Completing story: a small hare outwits a fierce lion and saves the forest.

A hare arrives late with a story about a rival lion, and leads the lion to a well.

The story begins: A fierce lion lived in a forest and killed many animals every day. The animals agreed to send him one animal each day if he stopped hunting. One day it was the turn of a small hare.

The Story

A fierce lion lived in a great forest and killed far more animals than he could eat. The beasts, seeing their numbers falling every day, met together to decide what could be done.

At last they went to the lion and made him an offer. If he would stop hunting, they would send him one animal every day for his food, chosen by lot among themselves. The lion, who was lazy as well as cruel, agreed.

For many days the arrangement was kept. Then the lot fell upon a small hare, who was as clever as she was little.

The hare set out slowly towards the lion's den, and took care to arrive long after the usual hour. She found the lion in a fury of hunger and impatience.

"Why are you so late?" he roared. "And why have they sent me so small a meal?"

"Great king," said the hare humbly, "I am not to blame. Two hares were sent for you today. On the way another lion came out and seized my companion, saying that he was the true king of this forest and would take your food."

The lion's rage was terrible. "Another lion? Show me where he is," he shouted. "I will teach him who rules here."

The hare led him to an old well with a low wall around it. "He lives in there, great king," she said. The lion sprang up and looked over the edge into the water below, and saw a fierce lion glaring up at him.

He roared a challenge, and from the well came back an answering roar. Beside himself with anger, the lion leapt into the well to attack his rival — and there, in the deep water, he was drowned.

The hare went back and told the other animals what had happened, and there was rejoicing throughout the forest; for wit had done what strength could never have done.

Moral: Wit is stronger than brute force.