THE LION AND THE MOUSE

A Lion asleep in his lair was waked up by a Mouse running over his face. Losing his temper he seized it with his paw and was about to kill it. The Mouse, terrified, piteously entreated him to spare its life. “Please let me go,” it cried, “and one day I will repay you for your kindness.” The idea of so insignificant a creature ever being able to do anything for him amused the Lion so much that he laughed aloud, and good-humouredly let it go. But the Mouse's chance came, after all. One day the Lion got entangled in a net which had been spread for game by some hunters, and the Mouse heard and recognised his roars of anger and ran to the spot. Without more ado it set to work to gnaw the ropes with its teeth, and succeeded before long in setting the Lion free. “There!” said the Mouse, “you laughed at me when I promised I would repay you: but now you see, even a Mouse can help a Lion.”

狮子和老鼠

狮子正在自己的巢穴中睡觉，一只老鼠从他脸上爬过，把他惊醒了。狮子勃然大怒，伸出爪子一把抓住老鼠，准备杀了他。老鼠万分惊恐，可怜兮兮地恳求狮子饶他一命。“放我走吧，”老鼠说，“总有一天我会报答你的大恩大德的。”这么个小不点，居然说能为他做事，狮子觉得好笑极了，但还是心情愉悦地把老鼠放了。而老鼠所说的那一天终于还是来到了。一天，狮子被猎人设下的网给困住了，老鼠听到声音，认出是那头狮子的怒吼，于是跑了过去。他二话没说，便开始咬啮绳子，没用多久便成功将狮子放了出来。“看！”老鼠说，“我承诺会报答你的时候你还笑我呢，现在看来，老鼠尽管小，也是能够帮助狮子的。”