Aesop's Fables: Townsend (1867)
47. The Lion in Love (Perry 140)
A LION demanded the daughter of a woodcutter in marriage. The Father,
unwilling to grant, and yet afraid to refuse his request, hit upon this
expedient to rid himself of his importunities. He expressed his willingness
to accept the Lion as the suitor of his daughter on one condition: that
he should allow him to extract his teeth, and cut off his claws, as his
daughter was fearfully afraid of both. The Lion cheerfully assented to
the proposal. But when the toothless, clawless Lion returned to repeat
his request, the Woodman, no longer afraid, set upon him with his club,
and drove him away into the forest.
George Fyler Townsend's translation of the fables, first published in 1867, is
in the public domain and can be found at many websites, including Project
Gutenberg.
Illustrations come from: Aesop's Fables, by George Fyler Townsend, with
illustrations by Harrison Weir, 1867, at Google
Books. |