The Lion and the Mouse (Aesop’s Fable)

In a vast forest there lived a mighty lion. He was considered the king of that jungle. His roar was loud and powerful. Animals stepped aside when he walked through. He was feared by all but also respected. The animals knew he was as just as he was strong.

One hot afternoon, when the sun was at its highest, the lion lay in front of his cave, sleeping with his head on his large paws.

A small mouse was scurrying nearby in search of food. He was not aware that he was near the lion’s den. With his eyes on the ground, the mouse ran in front of the cave and then over the lion’s nose. Startled, the lion got up and saw the mouse and slapped his large paw over the mouse’s tail. The poor creature was trapped. He was terrified and he saw the lion’s fearsome face right next to him.

“Oh, good sir, please forgive me,” he squeaked. “I didn’t see you there. It was truly a mistake to run across your face.”

The lion roared, angry to be woken up. He was about to kill the mouse.

“Please, please spare me,” the mouse begged. “You will not regret it. I promise to help you in any way I can in the future.”

The lion laughed, his anger forgotten. “You help me?” he asked the mouse incredulously. “How can a small puny mouse help a powerful lion like me?”

“I don’t know, my lord,” said the mouse. “But I know that a kindness shown is never wasted.”

The lion was good animal so he let the mouse go. The small creature hurried away, and the lion did not expect to see him again.

Then one day, when the lion was walking through the forest, a great misfortune befell him. A hunter who had long planned to capture the lion, had lain a huge trap from him, and he walked straight into it. Soon he was tied down with ropes on all four sides. No matter how hard he tried to pull away, he couldn’t break loose. He let out a roar of anger. The whole forest heard him – but they were scared and no one came near. Soon the hunter will come and kill him. They didn’t know how to stop that.

But as the lion roared, and his voice was getting weaker and weaker with the effort of trying to escape, a small scurrying sound was heard and there, coming towards him, was the mouse that he had set free some time back. The lion fell silent in surprise.

“I heard you, my lord,” said the mouse. “Stay still. I can gnaw through these ropes in a few moments.”

And the lion watched the small mouse use his sharp scissor-like teeth to gnaw through the tight ropes that all his strength had not been able to break. The mouse worked quickly and efficiently. Snap went one rope. Snap went the other. Snap! Snap! The lion was free!

The powerful animal came towards the little mouse and bowed his head. “You saved my life,” he said.

“And you saved me once,” said the mouse. “I told you. my lord, a kindness is never wasted.”