In a sunny forest, there was a smart crow, named Coco and a powerful lion, named Simba.
Simba ruled the jungle. He was golden and shiny and he had bright golden hair and a loud roaring laugh. All of the animals looked up to him because he looked out for them.
But in recent days, Simba had grown too full of himself.
Coco said to him one morning, “Good morning, Simba! The weather is lovely today.”
Simba answered, “Yes, of course it is. The sun rises because I am the king! The very wind obeys my command to roar.
Coco gave a little laugh, “Oh Simba that is so funny.”
But Simba wasn’t joking. He honestly thought he was better than anyone.
Three days later, the jungle organized a wisdom competition. Any animal could pose or answer questions. Simba roared, “No need! I’m the king. I already know everything.”
“Simba, even kings are gonna have to learn,” Coco said, softly.
“I d-don’t need any lessons from a litt-le crow!” snarled Simba.
The contest began. Coco tackled a bunch of tough riddles and even unraveled a puzzle about safety in the jungle. Other animals cheered.
Then came Simba’s turn.
“How creatures in the desert would drink if the river dried?” the owl inquired.
Simba paused. He’d never considered that. He looked around. Everyone was quiet.
“Coco whispered “We can dig a water hole near the old tree. Remember?”
Simba hesitated, then nodded. “Yes… Coco is right.”
Afterward, Simba approached Coco and said, ‘You’re smart, Coco. I thought king had to be the best at everything. But that was my arrogance.”
Coco smiled, “It’s okay to take pride in who you are, Simba. That’s self-respect. But, no one else matters? That’s arrogance.”
Ever since that day, Simba remained proud of being king — but he began to listen more, learn more and roar a little less.
Moral:
Self-respect is knowing your worth. Arrogance is the belief others don’t matter.