The sun rose over the African plains, its light spilling across the village as people carried out their morning tasks. Smoke curled from cooking fires, children played in the dust, and women drew water from the well. The air was filled with laughter and the rhythm of daily life. But on that day, something unusual happened.
From the far veld came a figure who appeared to be a woman. She walked slowly toward the village, her hair neatly arranged, her shape like that of any other woman. The people welcomed her with warmth, as was their custom when strangers arrived. They greeted her kindly, offered her a seat, and gave her milk to drink.
They believed she was like them. Her gentle movements and her appearance seemed to confirm it. Yet beneath that form was no woman at all. It was Lion, the great beast of the plains, who had taken the shape of a woman to trick the people. His golden eyes watched them closely as he sat among them.
While most of the villagers were deceived, there was one who was not. An old woman, wrinkled with age yet sharp with wisdom, studied the newcomer. She had lived long and had learned to look beyond appearances. Her voice, though soft, carried weight.
“This is no woman,” she said firmly. “This is Lion in disguise.”
The people burst into laughter. They clapped their hands and shook their heads. “You are foolish,” they told her. “Can you not see her hair? Can you not see her breasts? She is a woman, and you shame her with your words.”
But the old woman did not waver. Her eyes did not leave the stranger. She spoke again, slow and steady. “Look more closely. Do not be blinded by what you think you see. Look at the nails, look at the eyes, and you will know the truth.”
The villagers, curious now, leaned closer. At first they saw nothing unusual. But then they noticed the sharp curve of the nails, unlike the hands of a woman. They looked again at the eyes, and a shiver ran through them. The eyes did not soften with kindness. They glared with the fierce light of the wilderness, the unmistakable eyes of a lion.
Fear spread quickly. The people drew back, their laughter silenced. Murmurs rose, and then cries of alarm. In a rush, the villagers scattered, fleeing from the stranger in their midst.
Exposed, Lion could no longer pretend. He let out a mighty roar that echoed across the village, shaking the air with its power. His disguise melted away, and he sprang to his feet, his mane blazing in the sunlight. With one bound, he leapt from the village and ran back to the open veld, leaving behind only fear and the memory of his trick.
That day, the people learned an important lesson. Appearances can deceive, but truth can be seen by those who look with wisdom.
Moral Lesson of The Lion Who Took a Woman’s Shape
This folktale teaches that wisdom is not in what the eyes see first but in what the mind and heart discern. The villagers trusted appearances, but only the old woman looked deeper. Her wisdom saved them from danger. The story reminds us to respect the counsel of elders, to look beyond outward forms, and to seek truth rather than comfort in what seems obvious.
Knowledge Check
What shape did Lion take in The Lion Who Took a Woman’s Shape?
Lion disguised himself as a woman to trick the villagers.How did the villagers first react to the disguised Lion?
They welcomed him warmly, gave him milk, and believed he was a real woman.Who first realized that the stranger was actually Lion?
An old wise woman in the village recognized the truth.What signs revealed that the woman was really Lion in disguise?
The sharp nails and the fierce glare of the eyes exposed him.How did the villagers respond once they discovered the truth?
They fled in fear, and Lion abandoned his disguise, roaring as he returned to the veld.What is the main lesson of The Lion Who Took a Woman’s Shape?
Appearances can deceive, but wisdom and careful observation reveal the truth.Source: Western African folktale
