"There are small ponies on the river bank," said the Wolf.

So the young Lion went with the Wolf to the river bank when the ponies
were bathing. The Lion caught a small pony, and throwing it on his
back, he ran back to his den.

[Illustration]

His father said: "My son, those ponies belong to the king. Kings have
many skilful archers. Lions do not live long who eat ponies belonging
to the king. Do not take another pony."

But the young Lion liked the taste of horse-meat, and he caught and
killed pony after pony.

Soon the king heard that a Lion was killing the ponies when they went
to bathe in the river. "Build a tank inside the town," said the king.
"The lion will not get the ponies there." But the Lion killed the
ponies as they bathed in the tank.

[Illustration]

Then the king said the ponies must be kept in the stables. But the
Lion went over the wall, and killed the ponies in their stables.

At last the king called an archer, who shot like lightning. "Do you
think you can shoot this Lion?" the king asked him. The archer said
that he was sure he could. "Very well," said the king, "take your
place in the tower on the wall, and shoot him." So the archer waited