498850 The Lion and the Gnat, illustration for \'Fables\' of La Fontaine, published by H. Fournier Aine, 1838 (engraving) by Grandville (Jean Ignace Isidore Gerard) (1803-47); Private Collection; (add.info.: Jean de la Fontaine (1621-95) French author, poet and moralist; the fable relates the story of a lion, the \'king\' of animals who mocks an insignificant insect, a gnat; the gnat stings the lion who is driven mad by the pain and dies; the gnat exults at this victory but is caught and eaten by a spider as he leaves; the moral of this tale is that hubris is punished; le lion et le moucheron;); French, out of copyright.