STUDYING THE LOCK

A group of lions in a zoo, suffering grievously from their imprisonment, formed themselves into various groups. There was the patriotic group: these would meet very often and sing sad songs about their jungle home; nostalgia was their specialty. Then there was the political group whose meetings were always so noisy that you had the impression they were good for something. And then there were a few groups whose interest was entertainment; their aim was to distract themselves from their predicament. But there was one lion who refused to join any of these groups. He would sit in front of the gate and stare straight ahead all day.  the others thought him anti-social and depressed, and they stopped inviting him to join their groups. One day, out of pity, one  of them sat down beside him and asked gently, “What goes on in your poor sad mind as you sit all day staring?”

“I’m studying the lock.” he replied.

Source |  Donaugh O’Shea OP, In a Fitful Light. Conversations On Christian Living
(Dominican Publications, 1994 ) pages 128-129

PONDER AND CONSIDER

• The lone lion, a philosopher lion! Was he not the only practical animal in the whole zoo?