The Crocodile and the Lion by Rudolf Erich Raspe. Short summary

5 seconds

While hunting in Ceylon, Munchausen was attacked by a lion. The hero fell to the ground in fear. On the other side a crocodile tried to swallow him. The lion jumped over the baron and landed right in the crocodile’s mouth.

1 minute

Baron Munchausen, along with the eldest son of the governor of Ceylon, goes hunting in the woods. Because of the heat, he quickly grew tired, fell behind his companion and got lost.

Suddenly he heard a rustling noise, looked around and saw a lion in front of him. It had already opened its mouth, intending to eat the hero. Munchausen shot, but his gun was loaded with small buckshot and only annoyed the beast.

The lion lunged at the hunter, who fell to the ground in terror. Suddenly a large crocodile opened its mouth in front of him. Behind the baron was the lion, in front was the crocodile, on the right was the swamp, and on the left was the lake. There was nowhere for him to go. He fell on the grass, closed his eyes, and prepared to die.

Something rumbled above his head, and when Munchausen opened his eyes, he saw that the lion, jumping, had fallen into the jaws of the crocodile. The head of one predator was in the throat of the other. They tried desperately to free themselves. The baron drew his knife and cut off the lion’s head. Then he grabbed his gun and drove it deeper into the crocodile’s mouth with the butt of his gun, suffocating it.