Once upon a time, there was a fierce lion that lived in a dense forest. Every day, he would hunt down and devour many animals, filling the entire forest with fear. The animals grew terrified, knowing the lion might eventually kill them all.
In desperation, the animals came up with a plan. They approached the lion and said, «O mighty lion, let us make a deal. If you promise to eat only one animal each day, one of us will willingly come to you. This way, you won’t need to hunt, and we can live without fear.»
The lion thought about their proposal. It seemed reasonable, so he agreed. However, he warned, «If an animal doesn’t arrive on time, I will kill all of you the next day!»
From that day forward, one animal went to the lion each day, sacrificing themselves for the safety of the others. One day, it was the rabbit’s turn. Instead of rushing to the lion, the rabbit moved very slowly, causing the lion to grow impatient. When the rabbit finally arrived, the lion roared with anger, «Why are you so late?»
The clever rabbit replied, «I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I was delayed because I had to hide from another lion in the forest. He claims to be the true king, and I was afraid he would harm me.»
The lion’s eyes blazed with fury. «What? Another lion dares to call himself king in my forest? Take me to him at once, and I will kill him!»
The rabbit agreed and led the lion to an old, deep well in the middle of the forest. Pointing to the well, the rabbit said, «The other lion lives down there.»
The lion peered into the well and saw his own reflection in the water below. Mistaking his reflection for the rival lion, he let out a thunderous roar. The reflection roared back, making the lion even more enraged.
Without thinking, the lion leaped into the well to attack his «enemy.» But, of course, there was no other lion, and the foolish lion drowned in the deep water.
The animals in the forest celebrated the rabbit’s cleverness and rejoiced in their newfound freedom, safe at last from the cruel lion.