The king of the jungle was walking along the seashore one day and saw a dolphin breaking the surface of the water.
"Brother Dolphin," said the lion, "how fortuitous that we should meet! I'm king of the jungle and you're king of the fish. It makes perfect sense to me that we join forces, become allies, and rule earth and water."
"Your proposal makes a lot of sense," the dolphin replied. "Let's become partners."
Not long after, the lion was again walking along the shore when a wild bull challenged him. The bull turned out to be a fierce fighter and pinned down the king of beasts. The lion called to the dolphin for help. The dolphin heard the lion's cry and earnestly wanted to join the battle, but couldn't leave the sea. Eventually the lion prevailed, and the wild bull fled into the woods.
At that point, the lion began to scold the dolphin: "a fine ally you turned out to be. I could have been killed. You didn't do anything to help me."
"Don't blame me," said the dolphin. "Instead, blame nature, which made me swift and mighty in the sea but useless on land."
Aesop's Moral:
when choosing allies, consider their abilities as well as their willingness to help.
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