Are you ready to escape into story time? Listen to a classic The Ass In The Lion’s Skin fairy tale (not a Disney version). Check out our other classic fairy tale video stories on EscapeIntoStoryTime!
THE ASS IN THE LION^S SKIN
Adapted from Aesop
An Ass once found a Lion’s skin which had been
left out in the sun to dry.
“Aha” he said to himself. ‘It will be much
finer to make believe Fm a Lion, than to go
about just a Donkey.”
So he dressed himself up in the Lion’s skin, and
went back toward the village where he lived. Soon
on the country roads he began to meet the people
of the town. Seeing him come lumbering toward
them, they thought him truly a Lion, and all ran
away from him as fast as their legs could go. Some
were carrying great bundles on their heads, but
they turned around and ran, their bundles falling
this way and that. Some were driving wagons or
carts, but they sprang to the ground with a shriek,
left everything, and fled. Then the oxen and horses
reared up in the air, waving their forelegs wildly,
turned square around, and ran away, too, with
the wagons tipping and tilting behind them.
Men, women, children, dogs, horses, cats, oxen,
sheep and even the pigs all kicked up their heels
and fell over each other! Shrieking, barking,
bellowing, squealing, they
ran up the dusty road!
Proud was the Ass that
day. He crouched like
a Lion, he sprang, he
chased! What sport he
was having! Almost he
thought he was really a
Lion. But at last, wishing
to seem even more like
the King of Beasts, he
said to himself:
“I’ll roar, and FU roar,
and ril roar! Then they II
think Fm the fiercest
Lion that ever came out
of the Forest. Fll have
my own way in the
village and drive men and
beasts wherever I choose.”
So he lifted up his voice
with all its strength, but
alas ! instead of roaring, he
let out a loud, ridiculous
bray! “Ee-aw! Ee-aw! Ee-aw!”
The people stopped running away at once.
“Why! he’s only an ass in a. Lion’s skin!” they
cried, and they picked up sticks and ran after him.
Then it was his turn to kick up his heels and run!
But it was all of no use. He could not get away.
The people whom he had tricked, caught him and
held him, using their sticks on his back until his
master came up. Then his master turned him
out of the Lion’s skin in a twinkling, and, amid
the jeers of all, led him back to his proper business
of carrying loads.
Shortly afterwards a Fox came up to the Ass and
said, “Ah, you gave away the secret of who you
were by your voice. He who pretends to be some-
thing he is not, will always, sooner or later, give
away the truth.”
