There once was a Lazy Lion. He decided that he no longer wanted to hunt. Hunting was hard work. However, he did want to eat. He came up with a plan.

The Lazy Lion pretended that he was sick. He stayed in his cave all day long. The animals in the forest felt bad for him. They came, one by one, to visit him. However, whenever one of the animals entered his cave, the Lazy Lion ate him!

One day, the Fox came to visit the Lion. The Fox was very alert. He noticed things that others did not.

“Come into my cave, and sit for a while,” the Lion said, acting weak.

“You should come outside instead,” said the Fox. “The fresh air will be good for you.”

“No, no,” said the Lion. “I am too old and sick to go outside. Come in and keep me company.”

As the Fox walked towards the cave, he noticed the footprints of the other animals who had entered the Lion’s cave. He stopped and sat down.

“You must have a lot of company already,” the Fox said to the Lion.

“What do you mean?” asked the Lion.

“I see that many animals have come into your cave.” He nodded to the footprints on the ground. “But none have come out.”

Now that he was caught, the Lion decided to get up and finish the Fox. But the Fox quickly ran away. The Lion was so fat and out of shape from lying in his cave and eating too much that he could not chase the Fox.

The Fox told all the other animals of the forest what he had learned. No one visited the Lazy Lion again, and so he was very hungry.