Long ago, in the open plains of Africa, when animals spoke and tested one another’s strength, there lived a mighty lioness. She was feared across the land for her roar, which thundered through the savannah like rolling storm clouds. But one day, her pride was stirred when she heard another roar echoing from the bush, deep, powerful, and bold. It was not another lion. It was the ostrich.
The lioness, curious and proud, strode toward the sound. At last, she and the ostrich met face to face.
“Please, roar,” said the lioness.
The ostrich lifted his long neck, opened his beak, and released a cry so strong that the ground seemed to tremble. The lioness then roared in turn, her voice shaking the trees. Their voices matched in strength and volume, neither greater nor weaker.
The lioness narrowed her eyes and declared, “You are my equal.”
Hunting Together
To test their newfound bond, the lioness suggested, “Let us hunt game together.”
Side by side, they ventured into the grasslands, where herds of eland grazed. With swift movements, the lioness lunged and caught one. But the ostrich, fierce and agile, struck many down with the sharp claws upon his powerful legs. By the end of the hunt, the ostrich had slain many, while the lioness had only her single kill.
When they gathered again, the lioness saw with envy that the ostrich had brought down far more prey than she had. Still, she swallowed her pride, for her young cubs were waiting. Together they went to a shaded spot to rest from the hunt.
“Get up and rip open the kill, so that we may eat,” said the lioness.
The ostrich replied coolly, “You rip it open. I shall eat the blood.”
So the lioness tore open the animal, sharing the flesh with her cubs. After she had eaten, the ostrich stepped forward and drank the blood greedily, satisfying himself before settling to sleep.
The Cubs’ Discovery
As the lioness dozed in the shade, her cubs played restlessly nearby. Their games led them toward the ostrich, who slept with his beak slightly open. To their surprise, they saw he had no teeth. Shocked, they hurried to their mother and whispered, “This one, who claims to be your equal, has no teeth at all. He mocks you by pretending to be your match.”
The lioness’s pride flared into anger. Rising swiftly, she approached the ostrich and growled, “Wake up. Let us fight!”
The Final Battle
The ostrich, startled but unafraid, accepted. “Very well,” he said. “Go to that side of the ant-hill, and I will take this side.”
The lioness circled warily, her muscles coiled. The ostrich struck first, slamming his claw against the mound. Dust and soil flew toward the lioness. She shook it off and prepared to strike back.
But the ostrich was swift and cunning. His second blow was not aimed at dirt but at her body. With deadly precision, his claw struck the lioness near the liver, a vulnerable place. She staggered, roared one last time, and fell dead upon the earth.
The cubs cried out, but it was too late. Pride had led their mother into a battle she could not win. The ostrich, strong and triumphant, walked away, his long shadow stretching across the grasslands.
Moral of the Story
This tale teaches that pride and rivalry can blind even the strongest to their weaknesses. True strength is not only in the roar of one’s voice or the show of power, but in knowing one’s limits. Boasting of equality where it does not exist may lead to downfall. The lioness, in her pride, challenged the ostrich, but in the end, her refusal to accept the truth cost her life.
Knowledge Check
1. Who are the main characters in “The Lioness and the Ostrich”?
The story features a lioness and an ostrich as rivals, with the lioness’s cubs playing a minor role.
2. What was the initial test of strength between the lioness and the ostrich?
They compared their roars, which were found to be equal in power and sound.
3. How did the ostrich prove himself superior during the hunt?
He killed many eland using his sharp claws, while the lioness caught only one.
4. What did the cubs discover about the ostrich that angered their mother?
They noticed that the ostrich had no teeth, making them believe he mocked the lioness by claiming to be her equal.
5. How did the ostrich defeat the lioness in the final battle?
He struck her with his powerful claw near the liver, fatally wounding her.
6. What is the central moral lesson of the folktale?
Pride and rivalry can lead to destruction; wisdom lies in knowing one’s limits and strengths.
Source: South African folktale
