The Lion and the Mouse

A lion lay sleeping in the shade of a tree when a small mouse, hurrying past, accidentally ran across his paw. The lion woke with a growl and pinned the trembling mouse beneath one enormous claw, ready to end the little creature's life in a single bite. "Please," squeaked the mouse, "let me go, and I promise I will repay your kindness one day." The lion tipped back his great head and roared with laughter at the idea that such a small thing could ever help a lion. Still, amused rather than angry, he lifted his paw and let the mouse scurry free. Not long after, the lion was caught in a hunter's net, its ropes tangled tightly around his legs and mane. He roared and thrashed, but the harder he struggled, the tighter the net became, until at last he could only lie still and roar in frustration. The little mouse, hearing the commotion from nearby, recognized the lion's voice and came running. Without a moment's hesitation, the mouse began gnawing through the thick ropes with his sharp little teeth, one strand after another, until finally the net fell away and the lion was free. "You laughed when I promised to help you," said the mouse. The lion, humbled, said nothing at all — he simply nodded, having learned that no act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted.