A falling fruit startles a resting hare. Convinced the world is ending, it runs, spreading alarm through the animals.
A lion pauses the crowd and returns with the hare to the starting point. They find the fruit and the ordinary cause of the sound.
Adapted from Ellen C. Babbitt, Jataka Tales (1912), chapter IX · Source text & illustration
Fables use imaginary events to invite reflection; interpretations vary.
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