Aesop's tales #
28 - The Ass in the Lion's skin
An Ass found a
Lion's skin left in the forest by a hunter. He dressed himself in it, and
amused himself by hiding in a thicket and rushing out suddenly at the animals
who passed that way. All took to their heels the moment they saw him.
The Ass was so
pleased to see the animals running away from him, just as if he were King Lion
himself, that he could not keep from expressing his delight by a loud, harsh
bray. A Fox, who ran with the rest, stopped short as soon as he heard the
voice. Approaching the Ass, he said with a laugh:
"If you
had kept your mouth shut you might have frightened me, too. But you gave
yourself away with that silly bray."
Moral: No disguise will hide one's true character.
