The Lion Who Was a Chief

A long time ago, a Lion was the chief of a village of men. He was a good and just ruler, but the people were afraid of him because of his true nature. One day, the Lion's own cub stole a goat from one of the villagers. The village elders came to the Lion chief and demanded justice. The Lion was torn between his love for his son and his duty as a chief. He sat in judgment and, following the law, he condemned his own son for the theft. However, after this event, the Lion realized he could no longer live among men. "My nature and your laws are not the same," he said. "A lion must be a lion." He abdicated his chieftainship and returned to the wilderness. The story is told to explain the separation between the world of men (the village) and the world of beasts (the wild). It acknowledges the Lion's nobility and capacity for justice but accepts that the two worlds must remain separate.