168 THE LION KILLER. 



Ill the meanwhile, a lion who has not dined, and who, see- 

 ing the advanced hour of the night, feels very hungry, arrives 

 at the same douar, and perceives three men crouching on the 

 ground. " Good," says he, " here are some comrades who 

 arrive just in time ; and he lays himself down, and waits. 

 You must know that the lion is naturally very lazy. Now as 

 the men who wander about in the night are oftener robbers 

 of cattle than assassins, the lioness says to her young lion, 

 when he is old enough to travel over the country : 



" My child, when you meet men in the night, follow them, 

 and do them no harm if they do not molest you. 



" The flesh of men is not as good as that of cows, being 

 generally as dry as a herring. 



" Travel in company with them then, and when they 

 arrive near a douar, lay down and wait while they work for 

 you. 



" Let them drive the cattle they have stolen for some dis- 

 tance ; and when you have found a brook or a spring 

 on your path, present yourself, and demand your por- 

 tion." 



The lion that has followed the counsels of his mother, finds 

 himself well off. Instead of carrying or dragging his dinner 

 for a quarter of an hour, and afterwards having to go in 

 search of a brook to quench his thirst, he finds his wants all 

 provided for by his friends, and that on the very spot he may 

 select. 



Our lion is now lying down waiting ; but the dogs who 

 have seen the fire of his eyes or winded him, make a frightful 

 din. 



