第9章 The Kingdom of the Lion 狮子的王道

THE BEASTS of the field and forest had a Lion as their king. He was neither wrathful, cruel, nor tyrannical, but just and gentle as a king could be. During his reign he made a royal proclamation for a general assembly of all the birds and beasts, and drew up conditions for a universal league, in which the Wolf and the Lamb, the Panther and the Kid, the Tiger and the Stag, the Dog and the Hare, should live together in perfect peace and amity. The Hare said, "Oh, how I have longed to see this day, in which the weak shall take their place with impunity by the side of the strong."And after the Hare said this, he ran for his life.

狮子是“百兽之王”。它从不发火，从不逞凶，也从不动武，而是性情温和、处事公正，俨然是一位君子。在统治期间，它把动物们都集合起来召开会议，用协议的方式让狼与羊和平相处。狮子和羊、豹和羊，老虎和鹿，以及狗与兔子之间的关系，也被以相同的方法加以处理。在会上，大家听到了兔子说的话：“现在的世界正是我多年来梦寐以求的太平盛世啊！弱小的和强大的可以平起平坐，再也不用过担惊受怕的日子了。”