Page 43 - The Book of Rumi

The Lion, the Wolf, and the Fox

lion, a wolf, and a fox had become hunting partners. The lion was reluc-
A tant to be seen with the lowly fox and wolf but had yielded to their
company because he thought it was his duty as the king of the prairie to
allow them to benefi t from his grace. Just as stars receive their light from the
sun, the lion felt obliged to be magnanimous with respect to weaker and less
worthy animals.
Their fi rst hunt together in the high country was successful; under the
lion’s tutelage, the trio managed to capture a bull, a mountain goat, and a fat
rabbit. With the lion’s help, the two smaller animals carried their rich hunt
from the mountain down to the prairie, their hunger growing by the minute.
The wolf and the fox were too frightened to raise the issue of how the prey
should be divided, but deep in their hearts they believed that the mighty lion
would be fair in giving them their share; in fact, perhaps he would let them
have most of the catch, as he was so magnanimous! The lion, for his part,
could sense what his two companions were thinking, but he decided to remain
quiet until an opportune moment arose when he would show them who was
the decision maker among them.
“You lowly beasts, was my precious company not enough for you?”
thought the lion to himself. “How dare you think that you can influence or

predict my decisions? Don’t you understand that every thought you have, every
action you may take, are possible only because of me?”
While he entertained these thoughts, the lion erupted into laughter,
prompting the wolf and the fox into thinking that soon they’d be fi lling their
empty stomachs with their prey.
“Wolf,” called out the lion. “Be my agent and divide the game. Be abso-
lutely fair in your allocation. Show me what you’re made of!” he challenged
the wolf.
“My king, the big bull must be yours as it’s the largest catch,” declared the
wolf, thinking he’d come to the best conclusion. “The mountain goat goes to
me, as it’s smaller and befi ts my size. The rabbit suffi ces the fox.”

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