Story of the lion and the unicorn

[pinksmartie]

Can someone tell me the story of the lion and the uinicorn? I know they were fighting for the crown and that every year the lion won, but what happened when the lion won?

[Tatty Rollox]

King James VI of Scotland succeeded Elizabeth I when she died childless in 1603, effectively uniting Scotland and England under one rule. The Scottish Royal Arms had up to that point used two unicorns as shield supporters. The English Arms had used a variety of supporters, but most frequently had included a lion. In a tactful gesture James placed a lion upon the left of the new Arms, and a unicorn upon the right. This was an important symbolism, for both the lion and the unicorn had long been thought of as deadly enemies. Both were regarded as king of the beasts, the unicorn ruling through harmony and the lion ruling through might, The new Arms came to symbolise a reconciliation between the Scottish unicorn and the English lion and to show the population thar the two should share the rule. The effectiveness of this sentiment, unfortunately, is placed in some doubt by the famous nursery rhyme:

"The lion and the unicorn
were fighting for the crown.
The lion beat the unicorn
all around the town.
Some gave them white bread,
some gave them brown.
Some gave them plum-cake
and kicked them out of town".

........ and at http://tinyurl.com/hgvb6 is the new Arms ..