Week 2 Story: The Man Learns Humility

"So you really think the statue doesn't prove anything? Even if the statue was created by a man, it still shows the truth of men being stronger than lions" says the man.

"No," said the lion, "the only thing it proves is your ignorance. I am sure that if we fought right now, that we would see that lions are stronger than men."

"Well, then we will have to fight so that I may prove that men are stronger than lions" retorted the man. He pounces on the lion, knocking him backwards towards the statue. Taken aback by the suddenness of the attack, the lion responds with a roar, and with a swift swipe of his paw, gashes the chest of the man, leaving him standing there in shock.

Lion roaring under the moon

Source: GoodFreePhotos

The lion chuckles and says, "Now do you see the true strength of a lion?" as he starts to circle the man, pacing slowly and thoughtfully. The man looks at the lion, realizing that alone, he has not a chance of defeating such a beast. But he is unsure how to gain the advantage.

The man begins to slowly retreat, and the lion mockingly asks, "Does this mean you know you've lost this war?" The lion begins sprinting, and leaps towards the man, paws outstretched, each claw visible in the dim moonlight. The man moves at the last moment, causing the lion to crash into the statue that was behind him, which falls over and shatters into multiple pieces. The man seizes on this opportunity, grabbing one of the larger pieces as a form of self-defense.

He finally responds to the lion, "No, I've only just begun the fight." The lion, now furious from being tricked, and sore from hitting the statue at full speed, sprints towards the man once again, eager to finish him off and silence him. His paws outstretched again, this time he does make contact, gashing the man's face as he tries to avoid the attack. But the man also manages to gash the lion's stomach as he lands right beside him. The lion cries out in pain, shocked that the man was able to wound him. Seizing this opportunity, the man raises the fragment as if to deliver a finishing blow to the lion. As he starts to throw the weapon onto the lion, the lion swipes at the man's hands, knocking the fragment away and knocking the man to the ground in one swift motion.

He pins the man down and says, "This is how the statue should have looked. Even your intelligence couldn't save you from me." Just as he is about to kill the man, he stops. He looks down, realizing he is no better than the man if he does so. After a few seconds of thought, the lion releases the man, and runs off into the night to tell his pride what he has learned. The man slowly gets up, shaken by the events, and begins the slow walk home, wearing the signs of the struggle on his body, and in his mind.

"I have failed," said the man, "for I let pride get in my way and render me a fool."

Author's Note: Aesop's story about the Lion and the Statue ended rather abruptly, as we do not see what the final result is as to who is stronger, men or lions. It simply ended with the man saying the statue proved man was stronger. This is one way I could see the fight playing out and ending if they decided to figure it out for themselves.

Bibliography: The Fables of Aesop by Joseph Jacobs (1894)