The Lion and the Wild Ass by Aesop for ESL students with a video, vocabulary in real context, discussion questions and relevant idioms in the public domain available on Gutenberg Project.
Video of the Lion and the Wild Ass
The Lion and the Wild Ass
A lion and a wild ass went out hunting together: the latter was to run down the prey by his superior speed, and the former would then come up and dispatch it.
They met with great success; and when it came to sharing the spoil, the lion divided it all into three equal portions. “I will take the first,” said he, “because I am king of the beasts.”
I will also take the second, because, as your partner, I am entitled to half of what remains; and as for the third—well, unless you give it up to me and take yourself off pretty quick, the third, believe me, will make you feel very sorry for yourself!”
English proverbs of the short story
Here are a couple of idioms or proverbs that fit well with the theme of this fable:
Might makes right.
This directly reflects the moral of the fable, emphasizing that those in power often justify their actions by virtue of their strength or position.
The lion’s share
This idiom originates from similar tales and means taking the largest portion of something, reflecting the lion’s greed in the story.
Vocabulary in real context
- The latter: the second, near or toward the end of something
- Prey: an animal that is hunted and killed for food by another animal
- Superior: higher in rank or social position than others
- The former: first-mentioned, the first, or or in an earlier time
- Dispatch: to kill someone (prey)
- Portion: a part or share of something larger
- Entitled: authorized, eligible, allowed
Moral of the short story
The moral of this Aesop’s fable, “A Lion and a Wild Ass,” is that might makes right. It highlights how those in positions of power can manipulate situations to their advantage, often disregarding fairness and justice. In this story, the lion uses its status as the king of beasts to claim the largest share of the spoils, demonstrating that strength and authority can override principles of equity and fairness.
1. The lion was believed in his power to do whatever he wanted. The lion action creates an imbalance in the relationship with the ass.
2. The outcome of this story can be repeated, if the wild ass had been the stronger of the two.
3. This story lessened us to be more serious about choosing our partner for doing something. A healthy relationship is based on trust and mutual respect, not power. Because, we can communicate openly and express our opinions and feelings without any fear in the balanced relationship.
1. “The lion believed in his power to do whatever he wanted. The lion’s actions created an imbalance in his relationship with the ass.”
2. “The outcome of this story could have been different if the wild ass had been the stronger of the two.”
3. “This story teaches us to be more serious about choosing our partners for any venture. A healthy relationship is based on trust and mutual respect, not power. In a balanced relationship, we can communicate openly and express our opinions and feelings without fear.”
The lion’s decision to devide the spoils into three portions and then take all three roots in his beliefs of his own power and ability to dictate his terms and conditions regardless of fairness.
Here are some corrections for your comment:
1. “devide” should be “divide.”
2. The phrase “roots in his beliefs of” can be rephrased for clarity. A suggestion could be: “is rooted in his belief in.”
3. Adding punctuation to improve readability.
Here’s the revised version:
The lion’s decision to divide the spoils into three portions and then take all three is rooted in his belief in his own power and ability to dictate his terms and conditions, regardless of fairness.