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Lion's share

In the Greek version of Babrius it is a wild donkey and a lion who go hunting. The lion divides their take into three, awarding himself the first because he is king of the beasts, the second because they are “equal” partners, and suggesting that the ass runs away quickly before daring to touch the third. The moral Babrius draws is, “Measure yourself! Do not engage in any business or partnership with a man more powerful!”...

Another version that first appears in the Middle Ages is more cynical still. A fox joins the lion and donkey in hunting. When the donkey divides their catch into three equal portions, the angry lion kills the donkey and eats him. Then the fox put everything into one pile, leaving just a tiny bit for herself, and told the lion to choose. When the lion asked her how she learned to share things this way, the fox replied, “From the donkey’s misfortune.”

Hence, a lion’s share originally means the lion gets everything. Today, the expression is mostly used to mean most of something or a large part of it.

Which is only fair to the lion in the wild, if you ask me.

The lion in the wild, you see, never wants to touch food after he’s eaten his or her fill. Unlike bankers and wealthy families in general, the lion never hoards, nor does he speculate. He eats his full and leave the rest of the food to everyone else, be they cheetahs, hyenas, wolves or vultures.