The Lion and the Mouse
A Lion catches a little Mouse but laughs and lets her go when she promises to repay him. Days later he is trapped in a hunter's net — and the Mouse gnaws him free.
Scene 1: A Sleeping Lion
The Lion and the Mouse. A Lion lay asleep in the forest, his great head resting on his paws. A timid little Mouse came upon him by surprise. In her fright and hurry to get away, she ran right across the Lion’s nose!
Scene 2: “Spare Me!”
The Lion woke up with a start. He laid his huge paw on the tiny Mouse to catch her. The poor Mouse begged: “Spare me! Please let me go, and some day I will surely repay you.”
Scene 3: A Big Laugh
The Lion laughed and laughed. How could a little Mouse ever help a Lion? But he was kind, so he lifted his paw and let the Mouse go.
Scene 4: Caught in a Net
Some days later, the Lion was hunting in the forest. Suddenly he was caught in a hunter’s net! He pulled and pulled, but he could not get free. He filled the forest with his angry roars. The little Mouse knew that voice, and she ran to help.
Scene 5: A Little Friend
She found the Lion and began to gnaw one of the great ropes. She gnawed until the rope broke, and soon the Lion was free. Then the Mouse said: “You laughed when I said I would repay you. Now you see that even a Mouse can help a Lion.” A kindness is never wasted. Little friends may prove great friends.
Moral: A kindness is never wasted. Little friends may prove great friends.
Questions about The Lion and the Mouse
Where was the Lion sleeping?
In the forest.
What did the little Mouse run across?
The Lion's nose.
What did the Lion do when the Mouse begged him?
He laughed and let her go.
What caught the Lion some days later?
A hunter's net.
How did the Mouse set the Lion free?
She gnawed one of the great ropes.
More stories to read aloud
- The Hare and the Tortoise — A boastful Hare laughs at the slow Tortoise, so the Tortoise challenges him to a race.
- Belling the Cat — The Mice hold a council and a young Mouse has a clever plan: hang a bell about the Cat’s neck.
- The Ant and the Grasshopper — All summer the Grasshopper plays his fiddle while the busy Ants store up grain.