Lion Mane Tales and Assorted Poems by Masterful Poets

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This page features an original, contemporary retelling of three of Aesop's Fables in the form of rhyming verse:

The Lion and the Mouse is a story about how ability is not necessarily determined by size.

The Sick Lion is a moral story about a lion who tricks its prey to approach by feigning illness. But the fox proves too clever for the lion.

The Lion in Love is a heartbreaking tale of unrequited romance.

Lion Mane Tales

The Lion and the Mouse by Aesop and Judee Shipman

A lion snoozed under a Baobab tree

when a mouse ran upon him and tickled his mane.

The lion awakened, as mad as could be

and roared an angry refrain.

“How Dare you disturb me!” the jungle king said,

as he scooped up the mouse in his giant paw,

and prepared at once to squash it dead,

and know that mouse no more.

“Spare me, Great Lion!” the mouse implored,

“Forgive me my trespass across your fur!

If just this once you will let me go,

I'll find some way to repay you, Sir!”

“Alright!” Said the lion, “You're making me laugh!

For that alone, you may go on living,

But what could you do on my behalf?

Your life is merely a gift I'm giving.“

Next day, the lion went down for his nap.

Along came a hunter with rifle and net.

He captured the beast in a deadly trap

For the sake of a sportsman's bet.

The lion roared a song of death,

prepared to meet his grisly end,

when, far and away across the field,

a mouse heard the call of a friend.

The mouse raced forth on swift little feet

and quickly reached the Baobab tree

and gnawed at the net with his knife-sharp teeth

and set the lion free.

Moral: Ability is not determined by size.

lion mane lion mane

The Sick Lion by Aesop and Judee Shipman

A lion was too lazy to capture food by force

So he resolved to capture food by trickery, of course.

Pretending to be dying, he retreated to his den

And encouraged all the Creatures of the Kingdom to come in.

The beasts expressed their sympathy, and entered one by one.

The lion ate them up before they had a chance to run.

Finally, a fox appeared, and stood outside the den,

and inquired of the lion, “How are you, my friend?”

“I am dyin!” said the lion. “Place my bones under the rocks!

But first, will not you please come in?”

“No, thank you,” said the fox.

“I notice there are many foot prints leading where you roam,

And yet I see NO sign of ANY safely heading home.”

Moral: It is wise to be warned by the misfortunes of others.

lion mane lion mane

The Lion in Love by Aesop and Judee Shipman

A Lion loved a woodcutter's daughter,

and demanded her hand in marriage.

The father, afraid to refuse the request,

leaped inside his carriage.

“I accept your proposal,” the woodcutter said,

from between two wagon slats,

but you must remove your teeth and your claws,

as my daughter's afraid of cats.

When the lion returned, declawed and defanged,

the woodman, no longer fearful,

Hunted him down with the axe in his hand

And gave that lion an earful!

Moral: Don't sacrifice too much for the sake of love.

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VALENTINE POEMS This page features a collection of short verses that alternate between charming, funny and downright absurd.

FRIENDSHIP POEMS Hit this link for poems about friendship that actually don't suck.

FUNNY POEMS Who doesn't enjoy a touch of humor here and there? And while you're at it, why not make it rhyme?

SPANISH POEM (with translation) This page contains a rhymed verse composed in Spanish, with an English translation.

AQUARIUS POETRY Poems from the Western Zodiac.

ARIES POETRY Poems from the Western Zodiac.

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LIBRA POETRY More Zodiac poetry.

PISCES POETRY Poems pertaining to the Pisces personality.

VIRGO POETRY A short, well-chosen selection of Virgo verse.

POETRY FROM EVERY STATE Read poems about the state you live in. This collection really capture the mood of geographically themed poetry.

Lion Mane Tales and Assorted Poems by Masterful Poets

Lion Mane Tales

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