The Lion and the Mouse
Once upon a time, in a dense jungle, there lived a mighty lion. He was the king of the jungle, feared and respected by all the animals. One hot afternoon, after a long day of patrolling his territory, the lion decided to take a nap under the shade of a large tree. As he lay down, his powerful eyes closed, and he drifted into a deep sleep.
Meanwhile, a little mouse was scurrying around the forest floor in search of food. Unknowingly, the mouse ran up the lion’s back, and then over his nose. This sudden tickling sensation woke the lion, and he sprang up with a mighty roar! His large paw came down and pinned the mouse to the ground.
Terrified, the mouse squeaked, “Please, mighty lion, spare my life! If you let me go, I promise to return the favor one day!”
The lion laughed at the idea of a tiny mouse ever being able to help him. “You, a little mouse, help me, the king of the jungle?” he chuckled. But the mouse’s courage and earnestness amused him, and in a rare moment of mercy, he decided to let the mouse go. “Alright, I will spare you this time. Now go, and be more careful in the future!”
The mouse scampered away, grateful for the lion’s kindness, and promised to remember his generosity.
Days passed, and the lion continued to rule the jungle. But one day, as he was roaming through the forest, he wandered into a trap set by hunters. A strong net made of ropes fell on him, tangling him up and pinning him to the ground. No matter how hard he struggled, the lion could not free himself. He roared in frustration, shaking the forest with his mighty cries.
The mouse, who was nearby, heard the lion’s roars and recognized his voice. “The lion is in trouble!” he thought. Remembering the kindness the lion had shown him, the mouse rushed to the spot where the lion was trapped.
When the mouse saw the lion caught in the net, he said, “Don’t worry, mighty lion! I will help you!” The lion, in his distress, scoffed, “How could a tiny mouse possibly help me?”
But the mouse did not waste time. He quickly climbed onto the net and began gnawing at the thick ropes with his sharp little teeth. He nibbled and chewed, gnawed and bit, tirelessly working through the ropes. After some time, one by one, the ropes began to snap, and soon, the lion was free!
The lion stood up, surprised and grateful. “Thank you, little mouse,” he said with a warm smile. “You have saved my life today. I was wrong to doubt you.”
The mouse replied humbly, “It was your kindness that set me free first. Today, I was just returning the favor.”
From that day on, the lion and the mouse became good friends. The lion learned that no act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted, and the mouse realized that even the mightiest can need help from the smallest among them.
And so, the lion and the mouse lived happily in the jungle, teaching others the value of kindness and the importance of helping one another.
Moral of the Story:
No act of kindness is ever too small, and even the smallest creatures can make a big difference.
