A cock scares a Lion away; the Ass thinks it was his bray that did it and chases after. Too bad for the Ass.
False confidence often leads into danger.
Townsend version
An ass and a Cock were in a straw-yard together when a Lion, desperate from hunger, approached the spot. He was about to spring upon the Ass, when the Cock (to the sound of whose voice the Lion, it is said, has a singular aversion) crowed loudly, and the Lion fled away as fast as he could. The Ass, observing his trepidation at the mere crowing of a Cock summoned courage to attack him, and galloped after him for that purpose. He had run no long distance, when the Lion, turning about, seized him and tore him to pieces.
Moral
False confidence often leads into danger.
Caldecott
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An Ass and a Cock were in a shed. A hungry Lion caught sight of the Ass, and was on the point of entering the shed to devour him. But he took fright at the sound of the Cock crowing (for people say that Lions are afraid at the voice of a Cock), and turned away and ran. The Ass, roused to a lofty contempt of him for being afraid of a Cock, went out to pursue him; but when they were some distance away the Lion ate him up.
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JBR Collection
An Ass and a Cock feeding in the same meadow, were one day surprised by a Lion. The Cock crowed loudly, and the Lion (who is said to have a great antipathy to the crowing of a Cock) at once turned tail and ran off again. The Ass, believing that it was from fear of him that the Lion fled, pursued him. As soon as they were out of hearing of the Cock, the Lion turned round upon the Ass and tore him in pieces.
Samuel Croxall
AN Ass and a Cock happened, to be feeding together in the same place, when on a sudden they spied a Lion approaching them. This beast is reported, above all things, to have an aversion, or rather antipathy, to the crowing of a Cock; so that he no sooner heard the voice of that bird, but he betook to his heels, and ran away as fast as ever he could. The Ass, fancying he fled for fear of him, in the bravery of his heart pursued him, and followed him so far, that they were quite out of the hearing of the Cock; which the Lion no sooner perceived, but he turned about and seized the Ass; and just as he was ready to tear him to pieces, the sluggish creature is said to have expressed himself thus: Alas! fool that I was, knowing the cowardice of my own nature, thus by an affected courage, to throw myself into the jaws of death, when I might have remained secure and unmolested!
THE APPLICATION
There are many, who, out of an ambition to appear considerable, affect to show themselves men of fire, spirit and courage; but these being qualities, of which they are not the right owners, they generally expose themselves, and show the little title they have to them, by endeavouring to expert and produce them at unseasonable times, or with improper persons. A bully, for fear you should find him out to be a coward, overacts his part, and calls you to account for affronts, which a man of true bravery would never have thought of. And a cowardly silly fellow observing that he may take some liberties with impunity, where perhaps the place or the company protect him, falsely concludes from thence, that the person with whom he made free is a greater coward than himself; so that he not only continues his offensive raillery and impertinence for the present, but probably renews them in some place not so privileged as the former, where his insolence meets with a due chastisement; than which nothing is more equitable in itself, or agreeable to the discreet part of mankind.
L’Estrange version
As a cock and an asse were feeding together, up comes a lyon open-mouth toward the asse: the cock presently cryes out; away scoures the lyon, and the asse after him. Now ’twas the crowing of the cock that frighted the lyon, not the braying of the asse, as that stupid animal vainly fancy’d to himself, for so soon as ever they were gotten out of the hearing of the cock, the lyon turn’d short upon him, and tore him to pieces, with these words in his mouth: Let never any creature hereafter that has not the courage of a hare, provoke a lyon.
Moral
The force of unaccountable aversionss is insuperable. The fool that is wise and brave only in his own conceit, runs on without fear or wit, but noise does no bus’ness.
Crane Poetry Visual
The Ass gave a horrible bray,
Cock crowed; Lion scampered away;
Ass judged he was scared
By the bray, and so dared
To pursue; Lion ate him they say.
Don’t take all the credit to yourself.
Gherardo Image from 1480
Asinus, Gallus, et Leo
Gallus aliquando cum asino pascebatur. Leone autem aggresso asinum, gallus exclamavit, et leo (qui galli vocem timet) fugere incipit. Asinus, ratus propter se fugere, aggressus est leonem; ut vero procul a gallicinio persecutus est, conversus leo asinum devoravit, qui moriens clamabat, “Iusta passus sum; ex pugnacibus enim non natus parentibus, quamobrem in aciem irrui?”
Perry #082
