06 The Gnat and the Lion

6. THE GNAT AND THE

LION

By Jan Payne

Far, far away in a hot land called

Africa, lived a Gnat and a Lion.

These two creatures were com

plete opposites. One was weak and

one was strong. One was huge and

one was tiny. One was fierce and

one was timid. They met one dark

night, and this is what happened.

The Gnat had gone to sleep. He

had made himself a swinging

hammock on a blade of grass and

he was snoring gently.

The Lion was awake. He was hunt

ing - and his roar could be heard in

the distance.

It woke the Gnat.

‘What is that?’ he asked.

The Lion roared again. The sound

was even louder.

‘It’s getting closer,’ thought the

Gnat, holding his breath.

A minute later the Lion came into

view.

When the Gnat saw who it was he

felt relieved.

‘Oh!’ he said. ‘It’s only you.’

This annoyed the Lion.

‘Only me!’ he murmured silkily,

narrowing his yellow eyes. Are you

aware I am the King of the Beasts.’

When Lions narrow their eyes and

murmur silkily, they are at their

most dangerous. But the Gnat

wasn’t worried.

He opened his tiny mouth and

yawned.

‘You may be the King of the

Beasts,’ he said, ‘but I can outwit

you anytime.’

The Lion snorted.

‘Ha!’ he said. ‘I could flatten you

with one swipe of my paw.’

The Gnat stood up on his spindly

legs.

‘Go on then,’ he said.

1The lion raised his paw above his

head and brought it down as hard

as he could.

The Gnat jumped out of the way.

‘Missed,’ he said.

Humming a little tune he began

buzzing round the Lions head.

'Zzzz, Zzzz, Zzzz,

Diddly, Diddly, Dee.

Zzzz, Zzzz, Zzzz,

Try And Catch Me.'

The Lion was furious. He twisted

his head this way and that. He

snapped, he snarled, he swirled his

tail, he swiped with his paws.

But the Gnat was too nimble.

A thought came into the Lion’s

head.

‘If I keep perfectly still, the Gnat

will settle down, and I can pounce.’

But the Gnat didn’t settle down. He

acted quickly.

He flew straight up the lions nose!

And began to bite.

Roaring with pain the Lion shook

his head. He stuffed his claws up

his nose.

The Gnat pulled the hairs inside the

Lion’s nostrils.

‘Make me the King of the Beasts,’

he called.

‘Never,’ roared the Lion.

The Gnat bit him again. The Lion’s

nose began to swell. He could

hardly breath.

‘Say it,’ said the Gnat. ‘Say - The

Gnat is the King of the Beasts.’

The Lion could bear it no longer.

‘The Gnat is King of the beasts,’ he

muttered.

His face hurt. His nose was running.

His eyes were watering. Without

saying another word the once

proud Lion turned and disappeared

into the long grass.

The Gnat was full of glee.

‘I am the smartest creature that

ever lived,’ he boasted.

He began looking for a new place

to make his home. He wanted

something soft and comfortable.

Ahead, draped over a bush was

what looked like a white, lacy

shawl.

2‘That’s perfect,’ said the Gnat. And

he wrapped himself in it.

At first, the Gnat didn’t notice a

small creature moving swiftly

towards him, climbing delicately

over the lacy threads. When he did,

it was too late.

‘Hello, Gnat,’ said the Spider.

The Gnat tried to fly away, but he

was stuck.

‘You can’t harm me,’ he said, ‘I’m

the new King of the Beasts.’

‘We’ll see about that,’ said the

Spider.

And he ate the Gnat for his supper.

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