This is one of the Grimm tales for kids. “Be gone!” the farmer told his horse. “You’re too old to work and I have no use for you. Now shoo!” The old horse didn’t move. He simply hung his head. Frustrated, the farmer sighed, “Look Dobbin, you’ve been with me for many years and you served me well, but I can’t afford to feed horses who can’t work anymore!” The old horse did not move and hung his head.
“Okay, I’ll make you a deal. Prove your worth to me by bringing a lion and I will keep and feed you for the rest of your days. Now, hurry along! You have some lion hunting to do,” said the farmer patting the horse on its back. Dobbin moved slowly out of the field and into the forest. He wandered around until it grew dark, looking for a place to rest for the night. Also, read The Fox And The Cat.
Image Source@ www.youtube.com. The next morning, Dobbin stood by a huge oak tree. A fox passed by. “Hey there,” he said to the horse, “why so glum? You look like you’ve lost your best friend!” “I did!” neighed Dobbin. “He said I was too old to be of worth, so I no longer have a home.” “That’s terrible,” the fox said. “Simply awful! Is there nothing you can do?” Dobbin looked up at him and said, “The farmer said I could come back to stay if I brought him a lion!”
“A lion? Did he say that? I can arrange that,” the fox said. “You can? How is that possible?” Dobbin asked. The fox told the old horse his plan and ran off to find a lion. “Hey there,” the fox called to the first lion he spotted. “I just saw a fine feast. Do you want me to take you to the carcass of a horse that just died?”
The lion roared with delight and quickly followed the red fox. They went a short distance and went by a still body of Dobbin who was lying on the ground pretending to be dead. “It would be better if you can drag this fine meal into your den where you could enjoy it in peace,” the fox advised. The lion agreed. You may also like to read, The Horse And The Donkey.
“I’ll tie the horse’s tail to you and you can drag him to your den,” said the fox. The lion stretched out on the ground and waited as the fox secured the horse to him. Before he knew it, his legs were tied tightly together as well. “Hey! What’s going on?” the lion roared. He struggled to free himself from the ropes.
Just then, Dobbin rose to his feet. “Now, hurry off!” the fox said and he wished his friend well. The old horse trotted towards home dragging the angry lion behind him. “Well, look at that!” the farmer said as he watched Dobbin trotting down the lane. It was then that he remembered what a faithful servant the horse had always been. The farmer hung his head in shame.
Patting the old horse on the neck, he said, “A promise is a promise! Let me cut this lion loose and you’ll be free to live in the pasture where you’ll have plenty to eat for the rest of your days!” And so, the farmer had another mouth to feed. Old Dobbin had a forever home. The lion disappeared into the forest never to be seen again. Also, read The Eagle And The Fox.
Here is a short visual depiction of one of the Grimm tales “The Fox And The Horse“. See the video story below,
