The culture depicted in both folktales appears to view rulers as figureheads whose effectiveness is measured by their ability to lead wisely and decisively. In "The Lion Fable," the lion is initially portrayed as timid and hesitant, suggesting that true leadership requires confidence and the willingness to act, even if one fears making mistakes. This is evidenced by the mouse urging the lion to step up, highlighting that genuine leadership involves overcoming timidity for the betterment of the group. In "The Animal Council," the animals' dissatisfaction with King Lion's rule demonstrates that leadership is expected to deliver order and solutions; their collective failure in his absence reinforces the notion that leadership is a responsibility not to be taken lightly. The council members’ realization of their shortcomings when given the chance to lead shows that the rulers should not only possess authority but also the wisdom to govern effectively.
Test Question 16: Use the folktale descriptions to answer the question below. The Lion Fable
This story follows a lion who is shy and afraid to act for fear of looking foolish. While the lion watches quietly, several other animals step up to lead without hesitation-and make things progressively worse. Each time, the lion quietly tells his mouse friend how he would have done things, and each idea sounds like it would have been a much better and more logical solution. Finally, the mouse points out that the most foolish animals in the kingdom have stepped up to lead without hesitation and suggests that the biggest fool of them all is the lion, who has the best ideas but is too timid to lead. The lion takes the mouse's words to heart and steps up to rule.
The Animal Council
This story is about a group of animals who serve on King Lion's council. They gather frequently when their king is not around to complain about his rules and way of doing things. They echo one another's concerns, and all agree that the king is their greatest problem. Hearing of their doubt, the king decides to teach the animals a lesson. He disappears for two weeks. During this time, the animal council is given the chance to lead. They make several messes, and by the end of the two weeks, the mouse alerts the king that his council is desperate to find and return him to his throne. When he returns, he tells the animals not to question his leadership if they cannot do better themselves.
Both stories focus on characters who rule over others. In 3-5 sentences, explain how this culture views its rulers and explain what evidence you found in each story to support your answer.
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