Parables of Wisdom
The Lion Who Thought He Was a Goat
खुद को बकरी समझने वाला शेर · પોતાને બકરી સમજતો સિંહ
A lion cub grows up bleating, until he looks into a pond
- 4 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- For all ages
A lost lion cub is raised among a flock of goats and grows up eating grass, bleating and running from every shadow. One day an old lion comes to the edge of the meadow, and nothing is ever quite the same.
What it teaches The true self Courage Self-knowledge
The opening of the children's telling
Once upon a time, a little lion cub was lost in the hills. A kind shepherd found him and took him home. He put the cub with his goats, and a gentle mother goat looked after him.
So the lion cub grew up with goats. He ate grass. He said "maa, maa," like a goat. When a dog barked, he ran away with the goats. He grew very big, with soft golden fur and big paws. But he still thought, "I am a goat."
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
My soul is stronger and brighter than I remember.
To talk about together
What do you think the pond is like in our lives? What helps us remember who we really are?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.