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Aesop's Fable:
The Fox and the Sick Lion
Print, read and discuss the fable. Prints well in portrait and landscape mode. View in projectable and printable PDF format. Review the complementary activities below the fable.
The Fox and the Sick Lion
Once upon a time, in a quiet part of the forest, there lived an old lion. His teeth were dull, and his claws weren’t sharp anymore. Hunting was hard for him now, so he came up with a sneaky plan.“I’ll pretend to be sick,” he thought. “Then my neighbors will come to visit me, and I won’t have to chase them!”
So the lion lay down in his dark cave and groaned loudly. “Ohhh, I’m so ill,” he said. “I hope someone comes to check on me.” One by one, the forest animals came to see the lion. But when they stepped inside his cave—*gulp!*—he gobbled them up!
Soon, the clever fox heard about the lion’s sickness. But the fox was smart. He didn’t walk into the cave. Instead, he stood outside and called, “Hello, Lion! I heard you’re not feeling well. I hope you get better soon!” The lion replied, “Oh, dear Fox, I’m very sick. Won’t you come in and sit with me?”
The fox looked at the ground and noticed something strange. “Hmm,” he said. “I see lots of footprints going into your cave… but none coming out!” Then the fox shook his head and said kindly, “Thank you for the invitation, but I think I’ll stay right here.” And with that, the fox trotted away, safe and sound.
Be careful and pay attention to what’s happened to others. Smart thinking can keep you safe!
