Once upon a time, in the warm breath of the Savannah, there lived a lion named Leo. But Leo was no ordinary lion; he was a gentle soul who loved all creatures. While his father, the old king lion, roamed the land with a booming roar that sent chills down the spines of every animal, Leo simply wanted to befriend them all.
One day, little Leo approached the wise tortoise, who slowly peered over his hard shell with curious eyes. “Mr. Tortoise,” he asked, “how can I be more like a king lion?”
The tortoise pondered for a moment, then replied, “Perhaps try to walk in the way of a lion. You must growl and pounce and strike terror into all creatures.”
With a determined heart, Leo practiced each evening, trying to emulate his father’s fearsome nature. He stalked through the tall grass, pouncing on unsuspecting rabbits, but they soon discovered that the playfully wagging of his tail was not a sign of danger but rather an invitation to frolic. He approached the giraffe, who merely bent down her long neck to rub his cheek with hers, and the elephant, who gave him a gentle squirt of water while proclaiming him “The funniest lion she had ever met.” No matter how hard he tried, Leo failed to scare anyone.
Frustrated but undeterred, Leo decided to climb the tallest hill nearby where the icy winds roamed free. He took a deep breath, swelling his chest with all the courage he could muster, and with a great effort, released a resounding roar that echoed through the region. Animals all around paused, startled by the sound. The monkeys stopped their chatter, birds paused mid-flight, and even the nimble antelope lowered their heads, listening intently.
Pleased, Leo began his descent down the hill. On his way, he encountered a group of animals at the foot of the hill who had congregated, shaken by his powerful roar. Popping out of the bushes came a wailing hare with a bleeding paw. He had been trapped by a cruel thorn bush.
“Help me! Help me!” cried the little creature.
Leo quickly glanced back up the hill, contemplating his previous frightful encounter and wondering if he should continue in the king’s way. But as he looked down at the pitiful little hare, he thought better of it. Without wasting a moment, he kneeled down and licked the rabbit’s paw tenderly and thoughtfully with his warm tongue. And behold! The soft touch of his gentle tongue removed the sharp thorn that had caused the horrible pain. Soon the little hare was hopping about happily.
“Oh, thank you!” he squeaked. “You are truly the king of the beasts. Even now you have spared me more suffering with your kind heart.”
This display of kindness had a profound effect on the surrounding animals. They approached Leo cautiously, one by one, to express their gratitude. The sluggish tortoise bowed low in respect, the pompous parrot fluttered above him in admiration, and even the proud bull elephant, who loved no one but himself, bowed his large head low. All this gratitude made Leo’s little heart swell larger than an elephant’s, and he lost all belief in his previous fearsomeness.
From that day onwards, Leo became known not for his mighty roar but for his gentle nature and kind heart. Animals gathered around him, and in every burrow throughout the land, he was prayed for and adored. His father, growing older, passed on the crown to him. It was Leo’s splendid gentle nature, rather than the trouble he had brought upon himself, that made the difference.
“Roar of Strength!” the animals sang. But no roar came forth, only the warm breath of kindness. Henceforth, Leo ruled wisely, and all the animals were happy.