On a lovely afternoon as the sun began to sink in the west, Leo the Lion lay stretched out before a shady thicket on the edge of the Savannah. All about him were his Lioness and his little cups, tumbling over one another and licking each other playfully. So Overcome with Love and Kindness was Leo the King of Beasts that he wished no harm to any living thing, even to his enemies.
The Fox came by shortly afterwards and, seeing the old King sitting with his cubs, determined to make away with one of them. For a time he waited about hoping to get the old Lion away; but Leo had no desire to leave his young ones, and so the Fox thought he would take his chance while Romeo was sleeping; so he slipped in quietly and seized up little cub by the back of the neck and ran away.
But suddenly Leo awoke and saw what had occurred. He called to the ones left with him to set up a loud roar of calling the animals of the swamp, and soon there came a multitude of creatures from the Deer to the Doves, from the Mouse to the largest Elephant. and they all set about looking for the cub. After a time they came to where the Fox had just cut the little creature in two. The Fox said that he only wished to play with the cub, and had been holding the little one by the neck in play but the Lion raised his voice to the father.
“Try him on the following morning,” said the Fox, addressing the animals. “Then you may be sure whether or not he was trying merely to harm the cub by looking. in the meanwhile come you, seen cub and a little young one come you.”
So they did not realised till too late the error they had by the Fox, who therefore really seemed to act in self-defence. There is no denying an accusation when it is proven by facts that cannot be denied.