In the old days, when the earth was quieter and the animals still carried the echoes of wisdom in their voices, there lived a lion who believed himself cleverer than his own mother.
Now, the lion’s mother was no ordinary lioness. She was seasoned with years of survival and experience, her eyes sharp with knowledge of the world. She had learned many lessons from watching men, the two-legged hunters who carried strange weapons and moved with cunning ways. She knew their danger well. Often she would say to her son, “My child, do not hunt men. Their ways are not like ours, and their strength lies not in their bodies but in their cleverness. If you value your life, keep away from them.”
But pride is a heavy thing, and the young lion was swollen with it. He thought, “What does my mother know? She is old, and I am strong. My claws are sharp, my teeth fierce, and my roar shakes the ground. How could men, those weak creatures with no fangs or fur, be a threat to me?”
The Lion’s Defiance
One hot afternoon, while wandering near the edge of the grasslands, Lion came upon a Bushman resting under the shade of a tree. The man had been hunting all day and had fallen asleep, his bow and arrows lying beside him. To the lion, this seemed an opportunity too tempting to ignore.
He crouched low in the grass, his golden eyes gleaming with excitement. His mother’s warning echoed faintly in his mind, but he quickly brushed it aside. With a swift pounce, he killed the Bushman in an instant.
Standing over his prey, the lion licked his jaws and laughed to himself. “See now,” he said proudly, “my mother is foolish. She told me not to hunt men, but look how easily I have slain one! They are no stronger than antelope, and far easier to catch. Truly, I am wiser than she.”
The Consequence
But the sun does not stay long in the sky, and as its golden light dipped behind the horizon, trouble began to stir. The Bushman’s people discovered the body of their kinsman. Grief quickly turned to anger, and they armed themselves with bows and poisoned arrows. Unlike the lion, they did not underestimate their enemy.
They moved silently through the night, surrounding the place where the lion prowled. The grass whispered as they crept closer, their eyes sharp with vengeance.
Lion, still basking in his pride, did not notice them until it was too late. A sharp sting struck his side, then another. He roared in pain and fury, but the more he lashed out, the more arrows pierced his hide. The poison began to work swiftly, burning through his veins. His strength faltered, his legs trembled, and his mighty roar grew weaker.
At last, the great lion fell to the earth, his pride collapsing with him. His last thought was not of his strength, but of his mother’s words, the warning he had ignored.
The Lesson
So it is said: “He who does not listen to his mother’s counsel perishes through his own folly.” For wisdom is not found in strength, but in heeding the voice of experience.
Moral of the Story
This folktale teaches us that pride blinds the heart and makes one deaf to wisdom. The lion’s downfall was not his strength, but his arrogance in ignoring his mother’s advice. True wisdom lies in humility, respect for guidance, and an understanding that even the strongest may fall if they underestimate others.
Knowledge Check
Q1: What is the main lesson of The Lion Who Thought Himself Wiser Than His Mother?
A: The tale warns that ignoring a mother’s wisdom and acting with pride leads to downfall.
Q2: Why did the lion’s mother tell him not to hunt men?
A: She knew from experience that men used weapons and cunning, making them dangerous despite their weaker bodies.
Q3: What mistake did the lion make in this folktale?
A: He underestimated men, ignored his mother’s advice, and killed a Bushman, leading to his death.
Q4: How did the Bushman’s people defeat the lion?
A: They used bows and poisoned arrows to surround and kill him after he attacked one of their own.
Q5: What cultural origin does this folktale come from?
A: This story is a San folktale from Southern Africa, rich with lessons on pride and wisdom.
Q6: What symbolism does the lion represent in this story?
A: The lion symbolizes pride, arrogance, and the danger of overestimating one’s strength while dismissing wise counsel.
Source: South African Folktale
