1.3.2 - The Lion and the Lamb by Leonard Clark
SYNOPSIS
Conqueror’s Escape:
The Bostock and Wombwell’s with their men and animals were on the way to their destination – the village of Little Dean. The journey was intercepted by bad weather and caused undue delay and hardship to the showmen. The snow had turned the ground into a sheet of glass. It was past six in the evening as the party reached the four miles approach road of Little Dean. The road took a sharp right-angled turn before it made the final climb to the top of the
hill.
The showmen worked against the steep gradient and the bad weather, with burning torches. The caged animals restless and angry from their jolting ride, the foam-flecked horses straining at the painted wagons, they set on the last lap. At the sharp turn, quite unexpectedly one of the horses slipped to its knees pulling the other horse down and the wagon slipped crashing onto its sides and the inmate of the wagon – the Conqueror, the lion made its escape into the forest nearby.
The Circus show without Conqueror:
The task of setting up the railway meadow for the show was accomplished before dawn. The show was to be opened to the public at 3 O' clock in the afternoon. The show showcased all the animals with the obvious absence of the Conqueror – ‘the fiercest lion in captivity’.
The News spreads:
The Milkman of Little Dean was the first person to break the news of the Lion’s escape. He declared proudly that he saw the Lion’s track on his way to work in the morning. The news of the Lion’s escape spread far and wide and the news took several turns. The first one being that six lions had escaped from Bostock and Wombwell’s and had eaten a whole sheep on Pope’s Hill was reported by Mrs. Whittle. Later it turned out that it was not a sheep but a baby as declared by Williams the coalman who had seen the blood stained shawl. But happily the news was contradicted.
Spread of rumours and response of Public:
A dozen rumours flew around the town that morning. According to well-authenticated reports, the lion had been seen at places miles apart from each other. Ironically, the lion had been spotted in all the places at once.
Sam Jenkins, the town crier, paraded the streets to announce that Bostock and Wombwell’s have announced a reward of five pounds to anyone giving information leading to the capture of the lion.
The menagerie had full houses at both showings. Miss Boud at the sweet shop suspected that it was only an advertisement stunt of the circus company.
Hilarious Scenes Unveil:
Harry Smedley, the builder who could always be found in the public house at any hour of the day or night, turned over a new leaf and became a reformed character. Harry took a break at the backyard and he came in trembling all over like a jelly and said he was going to give up drinking as he had seen a lion outside. Apparently, he had been working out of the district for a few days and had not heard about Conqueror’s escape.
Discovery of the Conqueror:
After the two and a half day drama reached its climax with the spotting of the lion in the Vicar’s parlour. Finally Conqueror was discovered. The Vicar, discovered the lion that was least fierce. The lion was terribly exhausted even to growl. The Vicar offered his dinner of two legs of pork ,to the lion.
The Vicar’s name was Reverend Lamb. The Vicar tickled the ear of the Lion as he was led into his new cage. Then the joke suddenly struck them all; they had seen the lion lying down with the lamb.
Book Back Questions
1. What did William Godbeer, the milkman say about the lion?
William Godbeer, the milkman of Little Dean, was the first person to spread the news about the lion’s escape. While going to his work early in the morning, he claimed that he had seen the tracks of the lion. He proudly announced this news to the people of the village. His statement created fear and excitement among the villagers. After his announcement, the news spread quickly and took many forms. Different people added their own stories to it. Though William Godbeer only said that he saw the lion’s tracks, his news became the starting point for many rumours. Thus, the milkman played an important role in spreading the news of the lion’s escape throughout the town.
2. Give an account of the circumstances in which the lion was believed to have escaped.
The lion was believed to have escaped during the journey of Bostock and Wombwell’s menagerie to the village of Little Dean. The showmen were delayed by bad weather and heavy snow. The road was slippery like a sheet of glass. While taking a sharp right-angled turn on the hill road, one of the horses slipped and fell, pulling the other horse down. As a result, the wagon carrying the lion crashed on its side. During this accident, the cage opened and the lion, Conqueror, escaped into the nearby forest. The animals were already restless due to the jolting journey. Thus, the combination of bad weather, slippery roads, and the accident led to the lion’s escape.
3. What were the rumors about the lion at large?
Many rumours spread in Little Dean after the news of the lion’s escape. At first, Mrs. Whittle reported that six lions had escaped and eaten a whole sheep on Pope’s Hill. Later, Williams the coalman claimed that it was not a sheep but a baby, as he had seen a blood-stained shawl. This rumour created panic among the people. However, the news was later contradicted. Many people reported that the lion had been seen in different places miles apart at the same time. Ironically, the lion was believed to be everywhere at once. Thus, a dozen exaggerated and false rumours flew around the town and frightened the public.
4. What were the circumstances in which the lion was at last discovered?
After two and a half days of confusion and rumours, the lion was finally discovered in the Vicar’s parlour. The drama reached its climax when the lion was found resting there. The Vicar discovered that the lion was not fierce at all. Conqueror was terribly exhausted and could not even growl. The Vicar calmly offered his dinner of two legs of pork to the lion. The lion quietly accepted the food. Later, the lion was safely led into a new cage. As this happened, the Vicar gently tickled the lion’s ear. Only then did everyone realize the humour of the situation — the lion was lying peacefully with the Lamb.
5. Narrate the story of “The Lion and The Lamb”.
“The Lion and The Lamb” by Leonard Clark is a humorous story about the escape of a circus lion named Conqueror. Due to bad weather and a road accident, the lion escaped into the forest near Little Dean. The news spread rapidly and created many false rumours. People exaggerated the story, claiming that the lion had killed sheep and even babies. The town was filled with fear and excitement. A reward was announced, and the circus shows attracted full crowds. Finally, the lion was found in the Vicar’s parlour, weak and harmless. The Vicar fed the lion and helped capture it safely. The story ends humorously with the lion resting with Reverend Lamb.
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