One day, all the wild animals got together to choose a king.

They saw that it would be good to choose Lion to be the king of the animals.

At that meeting, they crowned Lion the king of the animals. As part of the ceremony, they had a big party that lasted a week.

All of the animals attended the ceremony until the end. They ate, they drank, they sang and they danced.

When the ceremony was over, they all dispersed. They were returning to their homes.

It was the custom for every animal to go and greet Lion because he was their king.

One visitor who came to greet King Lion was Hyena. When Hyena arrived at Lion's house, he found the king in bed.

Lion told him, "I'm sick with an incurable illness."

Hyena responded, "O, Great King, don't be sad because of your illness. Hare knows the cure for this illness."

The reason Hyena said this was because he wanted to get Hare in trouble in the eyes of Lion.

Hyena knew that Hare was unable to heal Lion.

Lion cheered up and sent Hyena right away to call Hare.

Hyena ran to call Hare and said, "Let's go to the king, because he is very sick. He sent me to call you."

Hare went to the king. "I have come, Great King! I heard that the king has need of me, and so I have come," said Hare.

Lion answered, "I am exceedingly happy to see you close to me, my Hare. I myself have called you, because my life is hanging by a thread.

I have an incurable illness. But Hyena whispered to me that you have the cure for this illness of mine."

And Hare replied, "You are correct, King Lion. I am able to heal this illness. But the medicine is very difficult to get."

Lion replied, "Don't you worry, Hare, about this medicine being difficult to find. The bird that flies is the one that is caught. Come on now, tell us about this medicine!"

Hare said, "O my King, when I say that the medicine is hard to find I don't mean that it is far away.

For you to be healed at once, you must make an ointment from the heart of a hyena."

When he heard that, Hyena started trembling all over. He was the very one who had told Lion that Hare knew the medicine for that illness.

It was useless to now try to contradict Hare regarding the medicine.

So Hyena ran away and never again went to visit Lion.