History WesternAnimation / LambertTheSheepishLion

A Creator/{{Disney}} animated short released in 1952. It was conceived by Creator/BillPeet and is narrated by Creator/SterlingHolloway.

Lambert, a lion cub, is mistakenly delivered in a flock of sheep by a stork (the same stork that was seen in ''WesternAnimation/{{Dumbo}}''). He is taken in by a ewe after none of the delivered lambs chose her to be their mother, and the ewe refuses to let the stork take him away. Lambert lives his life thinking he is a sheep... until he is forced to unlock his true nature to defend the flock from an attack by a hungry wolf.

Lambert, a lion cub, is mistakenly delivered in a flock of sheep by a stork (the same stork that was seen in ''WesternAnimation/{{Dumbo}}''). He is taken in by a ewe after none of the delivered lambs choose her to be their mother, and the ewe refuses to let the stork take him away. Lambert lives his life thinking he is a sheep... until he is forced to unlock his true nature to defend the flock from an attack by a hungry wolf.

* InterspeciesAdoption: None of the little lambs choose the ewe who wants to be a mother, which makes her very sad. But when Lambert the little lion cub chooses her, she decides to keep him, and even attacks the stork when he tries to take Lambert back.

* InterspeciesAdoption: Lambert is a lion who was raised by a sheep.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/8b60883b_5963_4ced_a372_60565c37d67e.jpeg]]
[[caption-width-right:350: Long before there was ''WesternAnimation/{{The Lion King|1994}}''...]]

* ShoutOut: The story is obviously inspired by an oft-paraphrased line from [[Literature/TheBible Isaiah 11:6]][[note]]"The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them."[[/note]], which is often quoted as "the lion and the lamb shall lay down together…"

* DeliveryStork: A delivery mistake sent Lambert the Lion to a sheep farm alongside other baby lambs. It doubles as a cameo -- this is the same stork that delivered WesternAnimation/{{Dumbo}}.

* DisneyVillainDeath: Subverted, surprisingly enough. Lambert apparently headbutts the wolf off a cliff and to his doom. The narrator reveals at the end that the Wolf's alive, stuck on a branch with berries for food. However...

* AdultFear: Quite a bit in one short:
** Having your child taken away from you.
** Having your child picked on due to being adopted.
** Being viciously attacked in front of your child.
** Having your parent attacked in front of you and everyone (including yourself) being too afraid to help.

* OhCrap: Lambert has this when he is awoken by howls and sees the silhouette of the Wolf in the distance, the Wolf has one once he realizes he's just ticked off a very angry MommasBoy.

* AmbiguousTimePeriod: Due to the lack of any humans (although Lambert‘s mother is seen wearing a man-made bell) and the mild fantasy elements (a stork delivering babies) it’s hard to establish a time period, it could be taking place anytime from thousands of years ago to the modern day.

[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tve80304-19520208-2244_6390.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:320:Long before there was ''WesternAnimation/{{The Lion King|1994}}''...]]

* OhCrap: Lambert has this when he is awoken by howls and seas the silhouette of the Wolf in the distance, the Wolf has one once he realizes he's just ticked off a very angry MommasBoy.

* OhCrap: The Wolf once he realizes he's just ticked off a very angry MommasBoy.

* AmbiguousTimePeriod: Due to the lack of any humans and the mild fantasy elements (a stork delivering babies) it’s hard to establish a time period, it could be taking place anytime from thousands of years ago to the modern day.

* UseYourHead: Lambert headbutts the wolf into a cliff in the film's climax.

* SuddenlyVoiced: Most of the dialogue is given to the narrator and Mr. Stork. It's not until the climax when we hear Mrs. Lamb speak ("Laaaaaaaaaaambert!") as well as Lambert himself ("Mama!").

* SweetSheep: Subverted with the lambs who pick on Lambert. They not only enjoy picking on him, but they even sing a song about not accepting him. Even as Lambert is now a grown lion, the sheep still don't accept him. Once Lambert saves the flock (especially his mother) from a wolf. The grown sheep become friends with him. The mother sheep that adopted Lambert plays this trope straight.

[[caption-width-right:320:Before there was ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing...'']]

Lambert, a lion cub, is mistakenly delivered in a flock of sheep by a stork (the same stork that was seen in ''WesternAnimation/{{Dumbo}}''). He is taken in by a ewe after none of the delivered lambs choose her to be their mother. Lambert lives his life thinking he is a sheep until he is forced to unlock his true nature to defend the flock from an attack by a hungry wolf.

* OnceUponATime

Lambert, a lion cub, is mistakenly delivered in a flock of sheep by a stork (the same stork that was seen in ''WesternAnimation/{{Dumbo}}''). He is taken in by an ewe after none of the delivered lambs choose her to be their mother. Lambert lives his life thinking he is a sheep until he is forced to unlock his true nature to defend the flock from an attack by a hungry wolf.

* AllOfTheOtherReindeer: The other sheep are not at all kind to Lambert once they find out he cannot baa, until his size and leonine aggression save the day. Imitating the TropeNamer was a common theme in writer Bill Peet's work.

Something ''snapped'' inside of him\\

-->"Time changes as it always does.

-->And Mrs. Sheep, oh, she was so proud

* SubvertedRhymeEveryOcassion: At one point, the narrator interrupts his own rhyming dialogue.