The Man Who Pulled the Lion’s Tail
Homeward Bound
Long, long ago, a young soldier named Johann was returning home from the wars. It was a beautiful day, and he whistled happily as he walked along a forest path, eagerly looking forward to seeing his home again.
The Wolf Encounter
Suddenly, he came to a clearing in the trees and saw a large, wicked-looking grey wolf cutting logs with an axe. Johann noticed an evil gleam in the wolf’s eye that seemed to say, “You would make a very tasty meal.” But Johann was a clever young man, and he walked boldly up to the wolf and said, “My dear wolf, there is a much easier way to split logs. May I show you?”
The wolf agreed immediately and handed the axe to Johann, who started to cut the logs. At the third log, the axe became stuck, and Johann turned to the wolf and said, “Would you mind putting your paw in the crack to hold it open so that I can remove the axe?” The wolf, eager to assist the soldier, obligingly placed his paw in the crack.
Of course, when Johann pulled out the axe, the crack closed, and the wolf’s paw was held fast! Ignoring the wolf’s cries for help, Johann continued on his way, knowing he was now safe from the wicked creature.
The Cherry Tree
As he walked on, Johann spotted a fox gazing up at a cherry tree, wishing he could reach the luscious red cherries. When he saw Johann, he said, “Please, kind sir, could you help me reach those cherries?”
<p”Certainly,” smiled young Johann. He found a long pole and tied the fox to the end of it, lifting it high into the air so the fox could see the cherries. However, the fox still couldn’t reach them. <p”I say,” said the fox, “could you lower me a little?” There was no response; Johann had already left. “That will teach that greedy fox not to steal cherries,” thought Johann as he walked on cheerfully toward home.
The Town of Opportunity
When Johann emerged from the forest, he found himself walking toward a bustling town. He made his way to the marketplace to see if he could find something to eat. There were all sorts of people there—beggars, peddlers, housewives, and pickpockets—and they all seemed to be talking excitedly about “ten thousand men.”
Curious, Johann approached a group of people to find out what the fuss was about. One man explained that all the young men of the town—ten thousand in total—had gone to the king’s palace to seek his daughter’s hand in marriage. The king had announced that the bravest man would marry her, but all the suitors had failed the test of bravery.
The King’s Test
Unable to resist the challenge, Johann decided to go to the palace and try his luck. Just as he entered, he met one of the rejected suitors and asked him what the test was.
<p”Well,” said the young man, “the king told me to tug his beard, and when I did, he shouted ‘boo’ right in my face! I was so startled that I must have jumped three feet! After all, it’s bad enough pulling a king’s beard without him shouting ‘boo’ as well!”
Johann agreed that it was indeed a difficult test to pass. He entered the palace, determined to succeed now that he knew what to expect. When the king shouted “boo” in his face, Johann steeled himself and did not flinch.
A Daring Challenge
<p”Very good!” exclaimed the king, who was fond of shouting. “You have passed the first test; now for the second!”
Johann, taken aback, asked, “What is the second test, Your Majesty?”
<p”You must spend a whole day in a lion’s cage,” said the king, “and after that, you may marry my daughter, the princess.”
Johann glanced at the princess, who was standing beside her father, and smiled. He decided it might be worth risking his life to marry a girl as beautiful as she was.
The Lion’s Cage
Johann began to make a plan. At first, he wondered if this challenge was more than he had bargained for, but being clever, he soon devised a strategy to spend the day safely in the lion’s cage.
The next day, when Johann entered the cage, his pockets were filled with sweets, which he offered to the hungry lion. Once all the sweets were gone, the lion looked at him and sadly said, “Thank you, but I am still hungry, and I will indeed have to eat you.”
<p”Just a moment,” Johann said hastily, “let’s play a game first. It will help you work up a better appetite.”
A Clever Game
The lion, intrigued, asked, “What is the game? It had better be a good one.”
<p”Oh, it is,” Johann replied enthusiastically. “It’s called tail-pull.” Before the lion realized what was happening, Johann tied its tail to one of the bars of the cage and sat down on the other side. “You see,” he laughed, “the object of the game is to stop you from eating me!”
The lion was furious, but there was nothing he could do because he was securely tied. At the end of the day, the king came to see how Johann was faring, expecting to find only his shoes left in the cage. To his surprise, he found the lion and the young soldier chatting peacefully, and when he realized what Johann had done, he roared with laughter.
A Royal Celebration
<p”Well, my boy,” he said after laughing, “you are a brave and intelligent lad. I think you will make a fine son-in-law.”
Then he turned to his courtiers and declared, “Prepare a great feast, for this is the man who is to marry my daughter and one day rule my kingdom!”
And so, the princess and the soldier were married, living happily for the rest of their lives.