In the play The Deer’s Pride and the Lion’s Hunt, inspired by an Aesop fable, children will discover how vanity can cloud judgment and place us in danger. Darian, a deer who admires his antlers but despises his thin legs, will learn the hard way that what we often take for granted may be our greatest strength.
CHARACTERS:
DARIAN (The Deer): A young, confident, and somewhat vain deer.
PIP (The Meerkat): A jittery, fast-talking meerkat.
Milo (The Monkey): A fun-loving monkey who likes a good nap.
LEO (The Lion): A formidable, cunning, and hungry lion.
ACT 1
SCENE 1: A Clearing by a Lake
(A triumphant DARIAN, a breathless PIP, and a tired MILO enter the stage, looking disheveled but proud.)
PIP: (Panting, hands on his knees) Another glorious victory! That’s three wins in a row for Team Forest!
MILO: (Lying on the ground, a single leaf covering his eyes) Call it what you want, all I hear is my stomach growling. I’m so exhausted I could nap for a year.
DARIAN: (Stroking his impressive antlers) It wasn’t about the race, my friends. It was about the chase. The wind in my ears, the ground flying beneath my hooves… it was magnificent!
PIP: (Waddling around, sniffing at the ground) Speaking of flying, I’m off to find something delicious. A nut, perhaps? A tasty beetle?
(Pip scampers off. Darian saunters toward the lake, admiring his reflection. Milo begins to snore softly.)
DARIAN: (Leaning over the water) Just look at them. The sun catches every curve. Like a crown of polished wood and bone, don’t you think?
PIP: (Returning with a large acorn) Oh, those magnificent antlers? A true testament to your power, Darian.
DARIAN: (Wagging his head proudly) Exactly! Strong, proud… a shame I wasn’t blessed with the same grace below.
PIP: (Cracking his acorn) What do you mean?
DARIAN: (Looking at his legs) My legs. They are thin, reedy things. No majesty. My feet, tiny and plain. So, unlike these… these glorious horns.
MILO: Nonsense! You’re a sprinter, Darian! You can outrun any predator in this forest. Your legs might not be flashy, but they’re strong and fast. They’re your greatest tool.
DARIAN: (Shakes his head) A tool of necessity, perhaps. Not of beauty.
(A low, guttural growl echoes through the clearing. All three animals freeze. A massive LEO emerges from the shadows, a hungry look in his eyes.)
LEO: (In a slow, menacing voice) My, my… what a fine feast I’ve stumbled upon.
MILO: (Eyes wide with terror) It’s Leo! The Lion! Run!
(Milo and Pip take off in a blur, scrambling up trees and disappearing into the brush. Darian stands frozen for a second, then his survival instinct kicks in.)
DARIAN: (Yelling behind him) Looks like you were right, Milo! Another race!
LEO: (A sinister grin spreads across his face) This isn’t a race, little deer. This is a hunt.
(Darian sprints away, his thin legs pumping, his heart pounding. Leo gives chase, bounding after him with powerful, silent strides. The two disappear into the dense foliage.)
ACT 2
SCENE 1: The Deep Woods
(Darian weaves through the trees, branches whipping past him. He feels the thud of Leo’s paws behind him, getting closer and closer. He feels confident, his legs working flawlessly, just as Milo said.)
DARIAN: (Out of breath) Ha! My legs are like the wind! You can’t catch me, Leo!
(Darian charges forward, but his magnificent antlers get tangled in the low, gnarled branches of a thick oak tree. He yanks and pulls, but they are stuck fast.)
DARIAN: No! My horns! They’re… they’re caught!
(Leo emerges from the foliage, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. He walks slowly toward the trapped deer.)
LEO: I told you this was a hunt, not a race. It seems your pride has caught you. Your beautiful antlers will be the end of you, little deer.
DARIAN: (Struggling desperately) Oh, what a fool I’ve been! The very thing I was so proud of… will cause my demise!
(Just as Leo gets within pouncing distance, Darian gives one last, mighty heave. The antlers snap free from the branches with a loud crack. He spins around, his legs a blur, and races away.)
DARIAN: (Yelling back) And my legs! The very things I was ashamed of… are the very things that will save me!
(Darian vanishes into the woods, his legs carrying him to safety. Leo lets out a frustrated roar.)
LEO: You got lucky this time, Darian! But I’ll be back! You hear me? I’ll be back!
(Leo watches as Darian’s silhouette disappears.)
In the end, Darian realized that beauty is not always what saves us. His thin legs, the very part of himself he disliked, became the reason he escaped the lion. Through this adventure, we are reminded that every gift we have—whether big or small—has a purpose. True wisdom is to be grateful for who we are and what we have.
Moral: Don’t be conceited. Appreciate and be thankful for what you have, because what seems insignificant may one day be your greatest strength.
THE END
Author: Aesop Fable
Adapted by: K I D S I N C O
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