Lafcadio, or The Lion Who Shot Back. 2nd edition

How is everything in the world arranged? Some are hunters, and some are lions. Hunters shoot lions with guns, and lions try to eat hunters. But what happens if a lion and a hunter swap places? The lion will shoot, and the hunter, where is that hunter now...

The hero of Shel Silverstein's book, Lafcadio, is just that lion who started shooting back. And he also carries suits with elegant nonchalance, smokes cigars, and enjoys marmalade, excuse me, murr-malade. In short, he completely stopped being a lion, to the extent that he went hunting one day.

Did Lafcadio change himself, losing his lion essence? Did he become happier? What happens when you lose your place in life, and do you find a new one?

For over thirty years, readers of Shel Silverstein's famous book have been asking these questions. And the author himself - a poet, writer, cartoonist, composer, musician, playwright, illustrator - did he find his way right away? He fought in Korea, and upon returning to the USA, he started drawing cartoons for magazines, and he also sold hot dogs, and believe me, he was a damn good hot dog seller. Then he collaborated with Playboy magazine for almost 20 years, wrote plays and staged performances, composed music and lyrics for popular musicians, until a friend convinced Silverstein to try writing a children's book. Shel thought it over and agreed. Thus this book - "Lafcadio. The Lion Who Shot Back" was born, followed by "Giraffe and a Half," and, of course, the famous "The Giving Tree."