Once there was a small lion inside the forest. His claws were strong, and his fangs appeared terrifying in shape. But despite his terrifying appearance, the lion named Gentilio was unable to frighten even a small mouse. He was kind and gentle. Therefore, the sparrows and all birds would play around him without any fear.
The story of this gentle lion isn’t like any story. When the bird Alkalaq was flying around the world, the lion appeared like a very small ball of hair. When Alkalaq was late in his return, he saw the lion as if he were one of seven equal-sized lambs. Therefore, the bird went confidently in the direction of the sheep flock to take his little newborn lambs.
Near the flock, the bird found them in a state of extreme nervousness. Each ewe was carrying a small lamb, except the ewe Bebe, who saw the small lion Gentilio for the first time. She loved him very much and decided to nurse him and protect him with all love and tenderness.
When Alkalaq bird noticed his mistake, the time was very late. The bird kept talking to himself saying: I have made a mistake and must return the small lion to his real mother. He thought about going to the ewe and explaining to her that the lion needs his mother. At the time he took him to the ewe, he found her nursing the small lion. He returned angry, repeating: Well.. this is good.. let the lion stay with you.. you have all the luck.
But in reality, Gentilio’s childhood was extremely difficult. Despite his extreme love for his new mother, he couldn’t deny his difference from the other little lambs. With time, he acquired huge teeth and terrifying fangs, and a long tail full of hair. The lion never learned to jump like the rest of his friends or issue sounds like their sounds, because he was completely different from them.
The poor lion would sit all day lowering his head, crying. He wouldn’t calm except when his mother came to console him, trying to convince him not to be sad. One good day, the lion went to the sea to drink water. There, he saw his image reflected in the water. He found the severe difference between him and the lambs, where he saw his big ears, his huge nose, and his long whiskers.
He kept repeating with a sad voice: I possess a wide nose because I’m always afraid. My color is different from the rest of my friends because I’m always sad. My ears are circular because I cry a lot. So I am the ugliest sheep in the world. He didn’t know he wasn’t a sheep but a strong, beautiful lion.
From that moment on, the lion got used to going every evening to see his image in the sea. One night, the lion heard the sound of screams coming from afar. They were the sounds of sheep and rams. He hurried and found a terrifying wolf. But he was chasing no one except his beloved mother Bebe.
All the sheep hurried away from the place from extreme fear and dread that the wolf would eat them. At the time the wolf approached Bebe, the lion felt a strange feeling. He didn’t feel fear but felt he was extremely strong with his fangs and his huge body.
When the wolf saw the lion and felt his power, he fled quickly from the place and never returned again. From that time, all the sheep began to respect the lion and love him. The lion forgot his sorrows and felt his power. But he remained gentle, loving the sparrows and birds, and playing with them.
The story is translated from Spanish Title: El león cobardica