The animals of the forest had a lion as their king. He was neither cruel, nor tyrannical, but a just and gentle king.
As king, he made a royal proclamation for a general assembly of all the animals. He passed a law, stating, "All animals will now live together in perfect peace and friendship. The wolf and the lamb, the cat and the bird, the tiger and the deer, the fox and the rabbit, will no longer be enemies."

The rabbit said, "Oh, how I have longed to see this day, in which the weak will be equal to the strong." And after saying this, he ran for his life.