The Lion and the Mouse
A mighty lion was sleeping in the grass one sunny afternoon. A tiny mouse was running through the grass and did not see the lion. The mouse ran right across the lion's nose!
The lion woke up angry. He grabbed the little mouse in his big paw. "How dare you wake me up!" roared the lion. "I am going to eat you!"
The mouse was terrified. "Please, kind Lion," squeaked the mouse. "I am so sorry! I did not mean to wake you. Please let me go! Maybe one day I can help you!"
The lion laughed loudly. "You? Help me? You are so tiny! How could a little mouse ever help a big, strong lion?" But the lion felt a little sorry for the mouse, so he let it go.
A few days later, the lion was walking through the forest when he stepped into a hunter's trap. Strong rope tied around his legs and body. The lion could not break free. He roared and roared for help, but no one came.
The mouse heard the lion's roars and ran to find him. When the mouse saw the lion caught in the trap, it knew what to do. The mouse began to chew the rope with its sharp teeth. The mouse chewed and chewed for a long time. Finally, the rope broke!
The lion was free! He looked at the tiny mouse with surprise and gratitude. "Thank you, little Mouse!" said the lion. "You saved my life! I was wrong to laugh at you. You were right—you did help me!"
From that day on, the lion and the mouse became the best of friends.
The moral of the story is: A friend's size does not matter. Even the smallest friend can do great things.