“Away with you, vile insect !” said a lion angrily to a gnat that was buzzing around his head. But the gnat was not in the least disturbed.
“Do you think,” he said spitefully to the lion, “that I am afraid of you because they call you king?”
The
next instant he flew at the lion and stung him sharply on the nose.
The lion was made with rage. He struck fiercely at the gnat, but only
succeeded in tearing himself with his claws. Again and again the gnat
stung the lion, who now was roaring angrily. At last, worn out with rage
and covered with wounds that his own teeth and claws had made. The lion
gave up the fight.
The
gnat buzzed away to tell the whole world about his victory, but instead
he flew straight into a spider’s web. And there, he who had defeated
the king of beasts came to a miserable end, the prey of a little spider.