The Clever Rabbit and the Lion – A Panchatantra Tale for Kids

Description: This story tells how a small but clever rabbit defeated a powerful and cruel lion using wit and intelligence. The animals of the forest will always remember his bravery, which freed them from fear.

Long ago, in a dense forest, lived a huge lion who called himself the king of the beasts. Every day, he demanded that one animal be brought to him as food. If the animals refused, the lion would hunt them down, killing anyone he caught. The forest dwellers lived in constant fear.

Finally, the animals held a council. An old, wise deer suggested: “Let’s make a deal with the lion. We’ll send him one animal each day, so he stops hunting the rest of us.” The animals agreed that this was their only chance to survive.

From that day on, every morning, one of the animals would go to the lion. The lion, satisfied, stopped hunting the others, but fear still lingered in the forest. One day, the lot fell on a small rabbit. He was the smallest of all the animals, and the others feared for his life. But the rabbit calmly said, “Don’t worry. I have a plan. I’ll try to rid us of the lion forever.”

The rabbit set off for the lion’s den, walking very slowly and deliberately delaying. The lion, accustomed to punctuality, roared angrily when he saw the rabbit arriving late. “Why are you so late? Don’t you know I hate waiting?” he roared.

The rabbit bowed politely and said, “Oh mighty lion, forgive my delay. On my way here, I met another lion. He claimed to be the real king of the forest and said you have no right to rule here. I barely escaped to warn you.”

The lion roared in fury: “What other lion dares to challenge me? Show me where he is, and I’ll tear him to pieces!”

The rabbit, barely hiding a smile, nodded. “Follow me, and I’ll show you his den.” He led the lion to a deep well in the middle of the forest. The water in the well was clear and reflected everything above it.

The rabbit pointed to the well and said, “Your rival is hiding here. He said you’re weaker than him and that he’ll take your throne.”

The lion looked into the well and saw his own reflection. He thought another lion was in the water. Enraged, he roared, and the reflection roared back. This made the lion even angrier. He leapt into the well to fight his “enemy,” but fell into the water and couldn’t climb out.

The rabbit peered into the well to ensure the lion had drowned. Then he returned to the other animals and told them how he had freed them from the lion’s tyranny. The forest was filled with joy, and from that day on, the animals lived in peace.

Moral: Wit and courage can defeat strength. Even the small and weak can overcome the mighty if they are resourceful.

Questions for Kids:

• Why were the animals afraid of the lion?
• How did the rabbit trick the lion?
• What lesson can we learn from this story?