The Donkey in the Lion's Skin
Once upon a time a little donkey lived in a beautiful green forest. Every day this donkey carried wood for his owner and grew very tired. He wanted to be free and brave like the strong animals of the forest. One day, on a forest path, he found a big lion skin among the bushes. The donkey was very happy and put the skin on at once. Now he felt strong and grand, like the true king of the forest.
The rabbits and goats on the path saw him and ran away in fear. The little donkey saw their fear and became even prouder. He went into the middle of the forest and wanted to frighten everyone more. He climbed onto a stone and tried to roar like a lion. But when he opened his mouth, he brayed loudly instead of roaring. A clever fox behind the trees heard this sound and stopped.
The fox came slowly close to the donkey and began to laugh. The clever fox looked at him and said, "Your skin is nice, but your voice tells the truth." The other animals heard this funny sound too and came back. They saw the long ears behind him and understood that he was not a lion. The whole forest laughed loudly at the poor donkey. The little donkey felt ashamed, took off the lion skin and ran quickly away. People who try to look like someone else end in shame. Even with a golden saddle, a donkey is still a donkey.