Contoh cerita rakyat (Folktale) dalam bahasa inggris

The Lion and the Beetle

Once upon a time, there live a Lion was very arrogant. He loved to roaring and growling whenever he saw his animal subjects to show what a mighty Lion he was.

"I am a Very Mighty King!" he roared. And his subjects all bowed to him.

One day, Lion looked into the mirror-like waters of the lake. He was struck by his own greatness.

"I am a Very Mighty King!" he roared. "I am a Very Mighty King!"

Lion preened and posed in front of the lake for hours, admiring his greatness.

Lion put on his favorite robes and his jeweled crown. His clothes were very heavy, but they made him look strong. He sent a message to all the animals living on the savannah or in the jungle, inviting them to a meeting on the parade grounds in front of his palace. And so the animals came to see Lion. One of them is tiny Beetle.

"I am small. I am little. People look down and can't see me," sang the Beetle as he scurried through the tall grass beside the road.

When the animals were assembled on the parade ground, there came a mighty trumpet blast from Elephant, and Lion came forth in all his grandeur.

"I am a Very Mighty King!" he roared. "I am a Very Mighty King!"

The animals were awed by his splendor and bowed to him. Lion roaring and growling to show how mighty he was.

"I am a Very Mighty King!" he roared. "I am a Very Mighty King!"

Then Lion saw the teeny tiny Beetle, standing alone by the side of the road. The Beetle was singing to himself as he watched the Lion. "I am small. I am little. People look down and can't see me," sang the Beetle.

Lion said to the Beetle: "You, Beetle, bow to me!"

Beetle said: "I’am sorry my king, I know that I am small, but if you look me closely, you will see that I am making a bow!"

Lion replied: "Beetle, you are hard to see down there! I am not sure that you are bowing to me."

Beetle said: "Look at me closely. I assure, that I am bowing to you."

Lion leaned over, peering down at the tiny Beetle. His favorite robes and his jeweled crown made him so heavy that Lion wobbled and swayed as he loomed over the tiny Beetle. Then Lion lost his balance and fell onto his head! His royal crown went flying off, and Lion rolled over and over, down the steep hill, and plopped into a ditch filled with muddy water.

All the animals laughed when they saw the Lion sprawled in the ditch. Frightened, the tiny Beetle scurried away. And the Lion scurried away too. He was not so very mighty and look strong, after all.