The episode is a reading of section 107 from 'Fables of Aesop and Others', a LibriVox recording in the public domain. It begins with the title 'The Old Lion' and introduces the fable's protagonist, a lion who was rapacious and cruel in his prime. The lion is now reduced by age and infirmities to extreme feebleness. Several beasts of the forest, who suffered under him, come to take revenge. The boar rips him with its tusks, and the bull gores him with its horns. Other animals also strike at the lion in various ways. When the ass sees there is no danger, it joins in and throws its heels in the lion's face. The expiring lion groans out words about his suffering. He reflects that suffering insults from the brave and valiant is grievous, but being spurned by a base creature like the ass is worse than dying ten thousand deaths. The fable concludes with an application that generalizes the moral to human society. It states that when men in power lose sight of justice and mercy and tyrannize cruelly, they will never gain sincere reverence or respect. The injuries they inflict will be remembered with detestation throughout life. When age and impotence come, they cannot expect friends they never deserved. Instead, they will be treated with neglect and contempt. The baser their enemies are, the more insolent and intolerable the affront will be. They will then discover with bitter remorse that the days for laying a foundation of virtue and dignity have passed away. The episode is a straightforward narrative reading without additional commentary or guests. It follows the classic fable structure of a story followed by an explicit moral lesson. The tone is educational and philosophical, using animal characters to illustrate human truths about power, justice, and consequences.
