THE LION'S SHARE

Once upon a time, a lion, a fox

and a donkey went to hunt together. They agreed to share all the game they might catch.

In the evening, the three hunters met at the edge of the forest.

The lion said it was time for supper. He asked the donkey to divide the game.

So the donkey made three equal heaps of the animals that had been killed. Then he asked each of the others

to step up and choose his heap. This made the lion very angry.

He sprang upon the donkey and killed him.

Then he said, "Friend fox, now there are only two of us.

See how well you can divide the supper.

The fox put almost all of the game into one great heap before the lion. He kept only a little for himself.

The lion was much pleased at this.

He said, "Friend fox,

who taught you to divide so well?" "That dead donkey taught me,"

said the fox.

to eat all the meat

that fell upon the floor.

That was a fine time for the dog.

He was fat and happy.

He was afraid some one

would take this right from him.

So he asked the king to give him a paper, and the paper said

that the dog could have the meat.

The dog gave the paper to the cat. She said she would keep it for him.. She hid it behind a beam in the attic.

Some mice lived in the attic.

One of them saw the paper.

She wanted it for her nest.

She tried to pull it from the beam,

but it stuck fast.

So she began to nibble at it.
She nibbled a little every day.
At last the paper was all gone.

One day the dog was hungry and picked up a piece of meat that had fallen on the floor.

His mistress was angry and whipped him for it.

So the dog asked the cat

to get the paper.

Pussy went to the attic.

She put her paw behind the beam, but the paper was not there.

Pussy went back to the kitchen and told the dog. He was very angry and called all the dogs together.

He told them what the cat had done.

The dogs talked about it

from morning until night.

At last they all agreed

to be enemies of the cat forever.

When the cat heard of this,

she was angry at the mice.

Since that time dogs have hated cats,

and cats have hated mice.