What does the Cowardly Lion ask the Wizard for?

The Cowardly Lion asks the Wizard for courage. In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, he encounters Dorothy and her companions in the forest and admits that he is ashamed of being afraid. Because lions are traditionally viewed as powerful “kings of beasts,” he believes his fear makes him an inadequate lion and hopes the Wizard can fix it.

His request is deliberately ironic. Before reaching the Emerald City, the Lion already performs brave deeds: he leaps across dangerous chasms while carrying his companions and helps defend them from Kalidahs. His courage is not the absence of fear; it is his willingness to act despite being frightened. The journey therefore reveals that he has more bravery than he recognizes.

In Baum’s book, the Wizard gives him a dish of liquid labeled as courage. In the famous 1939 film, the gift becomes a medal marked “Courage,” presented by the Wizard after the Lion speaks with him. A roar is associated with the character, but it is not what he asks to receive.