fables folktales · Ages 9-12

The Donkey Who Borrowed a Lion's Roar

A donkey frightens others with a lion skin until his own voice reveals him, proving that borrowed power fails when character is tested.

The whole story

1. At sunrise, a tawny-gray donkey with a white muzzle, large brown eyes, long upright ears, a short black mane, a dark tufted tail, and four white stockings carried a basket through the village. He was tired of being noticed only when someone needed a load hauled.

2. Beyond the square, he found a lion skin left behind by traveling performers. The golden fur was dusty, but the broad mane still looked grand. The donkey stared at it until a bold idea filled his head.

3. He pulled the skin over his back and tucked his ears beneath the mane. In the shadow of the cloth, he stood taller. For the first time, the path seemed to make room for him.

4. The first creatures he met scattered at once. A rabbit vanished under a cabbage leaf, field mice slipped through the fence, and even the peacock folded his splendid tail. The donkey held his head high beneath the mane.

5. By noon, the rumor had reached the village: a lion was prowling among the stalls. People ducked behind carts and left baskets of bread behind. The donkey discovered that fear could open a path faster than any command.

6. That evening, he climbed above the village and watched everyone lock their doors. He had wanted respect, but the silence below tasted sweeter. He decided to keep the lion skin forever.

7. The next morning, the donkey entered the orchard, where the old shepherd had always greeted him by name. The shepherd studied the mane, the paws, and the proud way the creature stood. Then he smiled as if he had heard a familiar secret.

8. “If you are truly a lion,” said the shepherd, “you will not mind showing your teeth.” The donkey froze. He could not show his teeth without showing his face, so he gave the only answer he believed a lion would give.

9. “Hee-haw!” The sound rang through the orchard, familiar and unmistakable. The lion skin fell crookedly, and the donkey's long ears sprang free.

10. No one ran. The rabbit peered from the grass, the peacock opened his tail, and the villagers slowly came closer. The donkey lowered his head, wishing the ground would hide more than his hooves.

11. The shepherd did not scold him. He only said, “A skin can borrow a shape, but it cannot lend a voice.” The donkey folded the mane and placed it beside the gate.

12. The donkey returned to the road and pulled his cart through the village. This time, people made room because they knew who was coming. His voice was still a bray, but it belonged to him.

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