Aesop is one of the most amazing story taller with moral. Aesop is the name of the man credited with the authorship of a collection or book of fables. Aesop was a slave who many believe lived in Samos, a Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea but others say he came from Ethiopia. The name of his first owner was Xanthus. It is believed that he eventually became a free man. In Aesop’s biography Planudes describes Aesop an ugly, deformed dwarf, and the famous marble statue at the Villa Albani in Rome depicts Aesop accordingly.
This is classical tale of love. Although in practice, it is almost impossible for a lion to fall in love with a maiden, the idea and the morale of the story cannot be far from the truth and reality. The lion surrendered its bargaining chip so that it could be given the honour to be with the maiden. Its teeth were trimmed and became an ordinary creature so that it could win its prize – the love of a maiden. The lion was taken advantage of. It was no longer feared and powerful, but practically reduced to a rabbit.
There is so much that we can learn from this story, either from the perspective of the lion or the parents of the maiden. In general, we see that when true love strikes, we are prepared to give up our most valuable assets and be with the one we are in love with. Love makes us vulnerable and weak, but without being vulnerable, we can never truly love. The maiden’s parents took advantage of the lion’s heart and caused it to cut its sharp and strong teeth. They may have done it with a genuine interest for their safety, but the bottom line is that they cheated the lion. One wonders what happened if the lion’s teeth did manage to grow back to their original size.
Hope you will enjoy it.
The Lion in Love by Aesop
A Lion once fell in love with a beautiful maiden and proposed marriage to her parents. The old people did not know what to say. They did not like to give their daughter to the Lion, yet they did not wish to enrage the King of Beasts. At last the father said:
“We feel highly honoured by your Majesty’s proposal, but you see our daughter is a tender young thing, and we fear that in the vehemence of your affection you might possibly do her some injury. Might I venture to suggest that your Majesty should have your claws removed, and your teeth extracted, then we would gladly consider your proposal again.”
The Lion was so much in love that he had his claws trimmed and his big teeth taken out. But when he came again to the parents of the young girl they simply laughed in
his face, and bade him do his worst.
Moral of Aesop’s Fable:
Love can tame the wildest
Lessons learnt
- Love makes us weak.
- We are prepared to do anything for the people we love without thinking of consequences.
- People can easily take advantage of our love for them.
- It is difficult to be in a relationship with someone you fear.
- Parents will do anything to protect their children.
- Love cuts across boundaries.
Advice:
- Think before you act or commit.
- Do not be so trusting. Take time to know people before they earn your trust.
- No matter how much you love someone, do not let your guard down.
- Love, but do not give yourself away the first time they ask you to.