\tSultan L\u00e9opard autrefois
\n\tEut, ce dit-on, par mainte aubaine,
\nForce b\u0153ufs dans ses pr\u00e9s, force cerfs dans ses bois,
\n\tForce moutons parmi la plaine.
\nIl naquit un Lion dans la for\u00eat prochaine.
\nApr\u00e8s les compliments et d\u2019une et d\u2019autre part,
\n\tComme entre grands il se pratique,
\nLe Sultan fit venir son vizir le Renard,
\n\tVieux routier, et bon politique.
\n\u00ab Tu crains, ce lui dit-il, Lionceau mon voisin ;
\nSon p\u00e8re est mort ; que peut-il faire ?
\nPlains plut\u00f4t le pauvre orphelin.
\nIl a chez lui plus d\u2019une affaire,
\nEt devra beaucoup au Destin,
\nS\u2019il garde ce qu\u2019il a, sans tenter de conqu\u00eate. \u00bb
\nLe Renard dit, branlant la t\u00eate :
\n\u00ab Tels orphelins, Seigneur, ne me font point piti\u00e9 ;
\nIl faut de celui-ci conserver l\u2019amiti\u00e9,
\n\tOu s\u2019efforcer de le d\u00e9truire
\n\tAvant que la griffe et la dent
\nLui soit crue, et qu\u2019il soit en \u00e9tat de nous nuire.
\n\tN\u2019y perdez pas un seul moment.
\nJ\u2019ai fait son horoscope : il cro\u00eetra par la guerre ;
\n\tCe sera le meilleur lion
\n\tPour ses amis, qui soit sur terre :
\n\tT\u00e2chez donc d\u2019en \u00eatre ; sinon
\nT\u00e2chez de l\u2019affaiblir. \u00bb La harangue fut vaine.
\nLe Sultan dormait lors ; et dedans son domaine
\nChacun dormait aussi, b\u00eates, gens : tant qu\u2019enfin
\nLe Lionceau devient vrai Lion. Le tocsin
\nSonne aussit\u00f4t sur lui ; l\u2019alarme se prom\u00e8ne
\n\tDe toutes parts ; et le vizir,
\nConsult\u00e9 l\u00e0-dessus, dit avec un soupir :
\n\u00ab Pourquoi l\u2019irritez-vous ? La chose est sans rem\u00e8de.
\nEn vain nous appelons mille gens \u00e0 notre aide :
\nPlus ils sont, plus il co\u00fbte ; et je ne les tiens bons
\n\tQu\u2019\u00e0 manger leur part des moutons.
\nApaisez le Lion : seul il passe en puissance
\nCe monde d\u2019alli\u00e9s vivants sur notre bien.
\nLe Lion en a trois qui ne lui co\u00fbtent rien,
\nSon courage, sa force, avec sa vigilance.
\nJetez-lui promptement sous la griffe un mouton ;
\nS\u2019il n\u2019en est pas content, jetez-en davantage :
\nJoignez-y quelque b\u0153uf ; choisissez, pour ce don,
\n\tTout le plus gras du p\u00e2turage.
\nSauvez le reste ainsi. \u00bb Ce conseil ne plut pas ;
\nIl en prit mal ; et force \u00c9tats
\nVoisins du Sultan en p\u00e2tirent :
\nNul n\u2019y gagna, tous y perdirent.
\nQuoi que fit ce monde ennemi,
\nCelui qu\u2019ils craignaient fut le ma\u00eetre.
\nProposez-vous d\u2019avoir le Lion pour ami,
\n\tSi vous voulez le laisser cro\u00eetre.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"annee":[166],"poems-book":[142],"poemes-theme":[],"poete":[151],"class_list":["post-1330","poemes","type-poemes","status-publish","hentry","annee-166","poems-book-fables","poete-jean-de-la-fontaine"],"yoast_head":"\n