Once upon a time, a man and a lion found themselves walking along the same dusty path through the high rocky hills. Since they were both brave travellers, they decided to walk together for safety.
But it was not a peaceful walk. To pass the time, they began to talk about which was the most powerful creature in the world — and very quickly, that talk turned into a great contest of boasting.
“Look at my muscles!” said the man, flexing his arms proudly as he marched up the hill. “Humans are the cleverest and the strongest creatures on earth. We build cities. We sail ships. We can outwit any animal in the forest.”
The lion let out a low rumbling laugh that made the pebbles shake on the path.
“Clever? Perhaps,” said the lion, and his deep voice went echoing away down the canyons. “But true strength belongs to lions. With one swipe of my paw I can bring down a tree. My jaws are stronger than iron. My roar can freeze a hunter where he stands. Lions are the true kings of the world.”
The Great Argument
They argued back and forth as they walked, and neither of them would give an inch. The man told stories of great hunters. The lion told stories of great beasts. The sun beat down and their faces grew red and cross, and still they could not agree who was truly the greater.
Then, as they came round a sharp bend in the mountain path, they found themselves at the edge of a wide and beautiful clearing.
And there in the very centre of it stood an enormous stone statue.
It had been carved by a famous artist long ago. It showed the legendary hero Hercules — a strong, muscular man — locked in fierce battle with a wild lion. In the statue, Hercules had his powerful arms wrapped right around the lion’s neck, squeezing tight, and clearly winning the fight.
The Man’s Proof
The man’s eyes lit up. He gasped with delight and pointed a triumphant, trembling finger at the monument.
“There!” he cried, puffing out his chest as far as it would go. “Look at that statue! There is absolute, undeniable proof that men are stronger than lions. Look how he has that fierce beast in his grip! Stone does not lie, my furry friend. Humans win.”
And he folded his arms and smiled a smug, satisfied smile, waiting for the lion to bow his head and admit defeat.
The Lion’s Truth
The lion did not growl. He did not lose his temper.
Instead he walked slowly all the way around the statue, inspecting the carved stone with his great golden eyes. Then he looked down at the man with a calm and thoughtful expression.
“My dear friend,” he replied smoothly, “that proves nothing at all.”
The man blinked. “What do you mean, nothing? It’s right there in stone!”
“Ah yes,” purred the lion, and a clever smile spread across his whiskers. “But ask yourself this. Who carved this monument? A human did. If lions could hold tools and carve statues, you may be quite certain that the art in this forest would look very different indeed. In every statue you would see a magnificent lion standing tall — with a man trapped helplessly beneath his paw.”
The man looked back at the statue, and his smile faded away.
He understood then that the monument did not show who was truly the stronger at all. It showed only what the person who made it had wanted everybody to believe.
The Moral of the Story: It matters who tells the story. Before you believe everything you see or hear, stop and think about who is telling it. A tale can change completely, depending on whose side it is told from.