Talking animal in The Oz Series

Cowardly Lion

Also known as the great beast, the Cowardly Lion, the big beast, the huge beast, the big Lion, the great Lion, the imprisoned Lion, the big, shaggy Lion, her Lion, the huge Lion, the King of Beasts, an enormous Lion.

A huge lion of the forest, as big as a small horse, universally taken for the King of Beasts because his loud roar frightens every creature away; in truth a self-confessed coward, though in this scene he crouches beside Dorothy, snarling fiercely and baring his sharp teeth to keep the Nome King's warriors from seizing her.

Appears in 36 chapters, first in chapter 6, last in chapter 87.

This encyclopedia covers chapters 1 to 100 of the story and shows the world as it stands at chapter 100, so it contains spoilers up to that point. To read it spoiler free, one chapter at a time, open the interactive codex.

What the story establishes

Affiliation	A cherished companion-beast of Ozma's court in the Emerald City, drawing her royal chariot and guarding her friends. (as of ch. 86)
Animal kind	lion
Appearance	A great Lion, as big as a small horse, with a paw powerful enough to send the Scarecrow spinning and sharp claws. (as of ch. 6)
Being nature	A naturally-born, speaking and reasoning lion of the forest.
Body conditions	A large, heavy flesh-and-blood beast — so big and heavy that he tips the raft and is far too heavy for his companions to lift or carry.
Conflict	His defining torment — an innate cowardice at odds with his reputation as King of Beasts — is answered here: he faces and slays the forest's monster alone and is genuinely crowned King, proving the very courage he lacked confidence in. (as of ch. 21)
Current goal	To attend and protect Ozma and her friends during the Emerald City festivities, suffering no harm to come to any of them in his presence. (as of ch. 86)
Dialogue style	Candid, self-pitying, and confessional; freely admits his cowardice, laments his unhappiness, and speaks with rueful honesty. (as of ch. 6)
Equipment	A big bow of blue ribbon fastened to the long hair between his ears. (as of ch. 56)
Gender identity	man (as of ch. 11)
Green spectacles count	1
Health condition	Fully recovered from the poppies' deadly fragrance — after waking and rolling off the truck he is fully refreshed and feeling quite himself again, walking a whole day without trouble. (as of ch. 10)
Is alive	yes (as of ch. 6)
Maturation stage	Adult
Motive	Having long ago obtained his courage from the Great Oz, he now acts as a loyal, courageous protector of Ozma and Dorothy on their expedition to rescue the royal family of Ev from the Nome King, guarding Dorothy against the Nome warriors and helping fight past the Nome King's defenses. (as of ch. 65)
Personality	Cowardly and deeply ashamed of it, sorrowful and unhappy, yet honest, gentle, and companionable despite his fearsome size. (as of ch. 6)
Quirks	Weeps when ashamed or sorrowful, wiping the tears from his eye with the tip of his tail. (as of ch. 6)
Referential profile	masculine (as of ch. 6)
Sex profile	male (as of ch. 11)
Skills	Roaring loudly to terrify other creatures into fleeing. (as of ch. 6)
Social status	No longer merely the reputed King of Beasts: after bravely killing the forest's monster he is actually acclaimed and enthroned by hundreds of real beasts as King of the Forest, who bow down and vow to obey him. (as of ch. 21)
Special capabilities	His loud roar frightens every living thing into fleeing, so that no beast, elephant, tiger, or bear will fight him.
Status	Decorated with pink and blue bows, draws Ozma's royal chariot in the holiday procession; at the games he and the Hungry Tiger knock down and menace Jim for kicking the Sawhorse, then retreat with dignity to the Princess's side. (as of ch. 86)

Relationships

ally of · Dorothy ch. 6
After their hostile first meeting, Dorothy warmly welcomes the Lion into her party, telling him he will be very welcome and will help keep the wild beasts away.
provides service → Dorothy ch. 7
Freed and reunited with Dorothy, the Lion is once again her active companion — helping seek out and recover their scattered friends and setting off with her for the Emerald City.
ally of · immense Tiger ch. 56
The Cowardly Lion introduces the Hungry Tiger to Dorothy as his new friend, and the Tiger explains he joined the Lion after refusing to act with a proper tiger's cruelty.
provides service ← Dorothy ch. 12
The nightly secret feeding is over: the Witch is dead and Dorothy simply unlocks the Lion's prison and sets him free, so the covert provisioning gives way to open companionship.
provides service → Ozma ch. 55
The Cowardly Lion, yoked with the Tiger, draws Ozma's golden chariot across the desert and into the Land of Ev.
subordinate to → Ozma ch. 85
The Sawhorse introduces the Cowardly Lion to Jim as the King of the Forest who nonetheless serves as a faithful vassal of Princess Ozma, having come with the Tiger to the Emerald City to welcome Dorothy.
includes ← ozma_rescue_expedition ch. 57
The Cowardly Lion is harnessed with the Hungry Tiger to draw the chariot, taking part in the expedition to the Nome King's domain.
ally of · Scarecrow ch. 6
The Scarecrow, first knocked spinning by the Lion, becomes his fellow traveling companion once the Lion joins the party, and gently reproaches him that the King of Beasts should not be a coward.
rules → the forest of the beasts ch. 21
By slaying the monster the Lion wins the crown of King of the Forest, promising to return and rule the forest once Dorothy is safely on her way home.
ally of · Tin Woodman ch. 6
The Tin Woodman, whose tin body blunted the Lion's claws, becomes his fellow traveling companion once the Lion joins the party, and discusses with him whether a fast-beating heart proves the Lion has a heart.
indebted to → Field Mice ch. 10
The Cowardly Lion owes his life to the field mice, who generously saved him from death among the deadly poppies; the debt is acknowledged with humble wonder but remains unrepaid. fulfillment_status: pending.
rules → great forest ch. 57
The Cowardly Lion rules the great forest as the King of Beasts, a dominion he held even before he learned of Ozma's return to the throne of Oz.
ally of · Toto ch. 6
Toto, wary of the Lion who nearly crushed him, gradually warms to the new comrade until the two grow to be good friends.
provides service → Winged Monkeys ch. 14
The Winged Monkeys seize and carry the Cowardly Lion through the air to the Emerald City along with the rest of the party.
provides service → Dorothy's Traveling Party ch. 20
At the second, lower china wall the party climbs to the top by standing upon the Lion's back before he leaps up after them.
commands ← Oz (ended) ch. 11
Oz, as a Ball of Fire, commands the Cowardly Lion to bring proof that the Wicked Witch is dead before courage will be granted, decreeing that as long as the Witch lives he must remain a coward.
protects → Dorothy (ended) ch. 65
The Lion crouched beside Dorothy and snarled fiercely, baring his sharp teeth to drive back the Nome warriors sent to seize her.
includes ← Dorothy's Traveling Party (ended) ch. 6–23
The Cowardly Lion joins the company this chapter, seeking courage from Oz and pledging to keep away wild beasts.
negotiates with ← Oz (ended) ch. 11
Oz, as the Ball of Fire, tells the Cowardly Lion to bring proof that the Wicked Witch is dead; the moment he does, Oz will give him courage, but as long as the Witch lives the Lion must remain a coward.
gives ← Oz (ended) ch. 16
Oz gives the Lion his courage: he pours the contents of a square green bottle into a green-gold dish and has the Lion drink it, telling him that once swallowed it becomes the courage that is always inside one; the Lion drinks it all and declares himself full of courage.
communicates with → Oz (ended) ch. 11
The Cowardly Lion is led before Oz, who now appears as a fierce Ball of Fire; the Lion, unable to approach the heat, begs Oz to give him courage so that he may truly become the King of Beasts.
injures ← poppy field (ended) ch. 8
The poppies' scent proves too strong even for the great Lion, who succumbs and falls fast asleep among the flowers, left behind by his friends.
leader of → the beasts of the forest (ended) ch. 21
Having slain the monster, the Cowardly Lion becomes King of the forest beasts, who bow down to him and vow to obey him as their King.
kills → the great spider (ended) ch. 21
The Cowardly Lion finds the giant spider-monster asleep, springs onto its back, and with one blow of his clawed paw strikes its head from its body, watching until its legs stop wiggling and it is quite dead.
oath bound → Wicked Witch of the West (ended) ch. 11–12
The Cowardly Lion is bound by Oz's condition to bring proof that the Wicked Witch of the West is dead in order to be granted courage, and it is he who resolves the party to seek her out and destroy her. Fulfillment_status: pending.
confronts ← Dorothy (ended) ch. 6
Heedless of danger, Dorothy rushes forward and scolds the Lion for trying to bite Toto, demanding he be ashamed of himself for attacking a poor little dog.
frees ← Dorothy (ended) ch. 12
Once the Wicked Witch is melted and Dorothy is free, she runs out to the courtyard to tell the Lion the Witch has come to an end and that they are no longer prisoners, releasing him from his caged captivity.
frees ← Dorothy (ended) ch. 13
With the Witch dead, Dorothy unlocks the gate of the Lion's prison-yard and sets him free.
communicates with ← Dorothy (ended) ch. 56
Dorothy joyfully hugs the Cowardly Lion and they catch up, with the Lion introducing her to his new friend the Hungry Tiger and both agreeing neither of them is truly brave.
communicates with ← Dorothy (ended) ch. 85
Dorothy runs out to greet the Lion and the Tiger, hugging both with delight, and tells them all about the earthquake and her recent adventures during their talk.
protects → Dorothy (ended) ch. 7
Facing the Kalidahs, the Lion tells Dorothy to stand close behind him and pledges to fight the beasts as long as he is alive.
rescues → Dorothy (ended) ch. 8
As the raft is swept into the deep current, the Lion springs into the water and swims it to shore, saving Dorothy from being carried into the Wicked Witch of the West's country.
rescues ← Field Mice (ended) ch. 9
Thousands of harnessed Field Mice pull the truck bearing the sleeping Lion out of the poppy bed to the green fields, saving him from a fatal sleep.
acquires resource → green spectacles (ended) ch. 10
At the Emerald City gate the Guardian of the Gates fits the Cowardly Lion with a pair of green-glassed spectacles and locks them on with his key, as Oz's decree requires of everyone entering the City.
threatens → Jim (ended) ch. 86
After Jim kicks the Sawhorse, the Cowardly Lion crouches menacingly at his side with glowing eyes and growls that no one may injure their friends in their presence.
confronts → Kalidahs (ended) ch. 7
Though afraid, the Lion turns to face the two Kalidahs and vows to fight them as long as he is alive to protect his companions.
discovers → Oz (ended) ch. 15
The Cowardly Lion discovers Oz is a humbug, and learns the fearsome Ball of Fire he faced was only an oil-soaked ball of cotton.
rescues ← Scarecrow (ended) ch. 9
The Scarecrow devises the mouse-drawn rescue of the sleeping Lion and helps push the loaded truck to draw him out of the deadly poppies.
provides service → Scarecrow (ended) ch. 7
The Lion carries the Scarecrow on his back and leaps the first wide gulf, ferrying him safely to the far side.
rescues → the beasts of the forest (ended) ch. 21
The Cowardly Lion rescues the beleaguered forest beasts by going alone to fight and kill the spider-monster that had been devouring them, freeing them from its terror.
protects → the twenty-seven soldiers (ended) ch. 58
Seeing the officers too frightened to run beneath the pounding iron hammer on their own, the Cowardly Lion agrees to place himself in danger again, leaping back under the mallet to shield and carry them past it before it can fall.
rescues → the twenty-seven soldiers (ended) ch. 58
With the officers' knees too weak from fear to run beneath the pounding hammer themselves, the Cowardly Lion leaps back under the mallet again and again, carrying two generals clinging to his neck each time until all the officers are landed safely on the far side.
rescues ← Tin Woodman (ended) ch. 9
The Tin Woodman builds the truck, helps lift the heavy sleeping Lion onto it, and pushes from behind to draw him out of the poppy bed to safety.
rescues → Tin Woodman (ended) ch. 8
The Lion swims the drifting raft to the bank while the Tin Woodman holds fast to his tail, saving the Woodman from the runaway current.
imprisoned by → Wicked Witch of the West (ended) ch. 12
The Cowardly Lion is imprisoned by the Wicked Witch in a high-fenced yard at her castle; she tries to starve him into submission to be harnessed, but he refuses and is secretly fed by Dorothy, until he is freed after the Witch is melted. (fulfillment_status: pending during captivity)
imprisoned by → Winged Monkeys (ended) ch. 12
[CASCADE] Created by CAPTURES(winged_monkeys→cowardly_lion)
captures ← Winged Monkeys (ended) ch. 12
The Winged Monkeys throw stout rope around the Lion and wind many coils about his body, head, and legs until he cannot struggle, then fly him to the Witch's castle and set him in a small high-fenced yard from which he cannot escape.
expresses love ← Dorothy (ended) ch. 23
At the sorrowful parting, Dorothy throws her arms around the Lion's neck, kisses him, and pats his big head tenderly before leaving for Kansas.
confesses to → Dorothy (ended) ch. 6
The Lion openly confesses to Dorothy and the party that he is a coward, has always known it, and that his cowardice is his great sorrow that makes his life unhappy.
warns → Dorothy (ended) ch. 7
The Lion whispers a warning to the party that they have entered the part of the country where the dreadful Kalidahs live.
communicates with → Dorothy (ended) ch. 56
The Cowardly Lion greets Dorothy warmly, reminisces about their past adventures, admits he is as cowardly as ever, and introduces her to his new friend the Hungry Tiger.
persuades → Dorothy's Traveling Party (ended) ch. 11
After all four have been refused by Oz until the Wicked Witch dies, the Lion proposes and persuades the party that their only course is to go to the land of the Winkies, seek out the Wicked Witch, and destroy her; the others agree to set out with him.
located in → great forest (ended) ch. 6–7
The great forest is the Cowardly Lion's home territory — he bounds out of it onto the road, and all the other animals in the forest expect him to be brave as King of Beasts; he leaves it with the party when they reach the broad river in chapter 7.
communicates with → Jim (ended) ch. 85
The Cowardly Lion, introduced to Jim by the Sawhorse, comments critically but politely on Jim's ungainly appearance and age, then calls for peaceful conversation and asks if Jim has breakfasted.
fears → Kalidahs (ended) ch. 7
The Lion is terribly afraid of the Kalidahs, trembling when they appear and admitting they could tear him in two.
threatens → Kalidahs (ended) ch. 7
The Lion gives so loud and terrible a roar that even the fierce Kalidahs stop short and stare at him in surprise.
deceives ← Oz (ended) ch. 11
Oz deceives the Cowardly Lion by manifesting as a fierce Ball of Fire so hot the Lion cannot approach, yet another concealing form, while promising courage only once the Wicked Witch is proven dead.
negotiates with ← Oz (ended) ch. 15
Oz tells the Lion he already has courage — the true courage of facing danger despite fear — but agrees to give him the kind that makes one forget he is afraid the next day.
deceives ← Oz (ended) ch. 15
Oz had deceived the Lion by appearing as a Ball of Fire — really a ball of cotton hung from the ceiling that burned fiercely when oil was poured on it.
protects → Ozma (ended) ch. 58
The Cowardly Lion carries Ozma clinging to his mane and times a sudden leap between the iron giant's legs, getting her safely past the pounding mallet before it can fall again.

58 further relationships are in the interactive codex.

From the text

“Then, if you don’t mind, I’ll go with you,” said the Lion, “for my life is simply unbearable without a bit of courage.”Chapter 6

“I am a Cowardly Lion, afraid of everything. I came to you to beg that you give me courage, so that in reality I may become the King of Beasts, as men call me.”Chapter 11

“All the other animals in the forest naturally expect me to be brave, for the Lion is everywhere thought to be the King of Beasts.”Chapter 6

“I am terribly afraid of falling, myself,” said the Cowardly Lion, “but I suppose there is nothing to do but try it.”Chapter 7

“I always did like flowers,” said the Lion. “They seem so helpless and frail. But there are none in the forest so bright as these.”Chapter 8

“I have always thought myself very big and terrible; yet such little things as flowers came near to killing me, and such small animals as mice have saved my life. How strange it all is! But, comrades, what shall we do now?”Chapter 10

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