2. The Lion And The Mouse

    A great lion, well contented after an excellent supper, had fallen asleep at the door of his cave.  He was dreaming of all sorts of nice things-- mostly things to eat-- when he felt a little tug at his mane.  Drowsily lifting a paw, he caught a mouse!

    "G-r-r-r-r-r-r!" growled the lion.  "What is a miserable thing like you doing in my mane?  I shall eat you up!"

   "Oh, your Majesty! your Majesty!"  squeaked the mouse, "please spare me!  I had no idea you were a lion.  I thought you were a haystack!  And I wanted some nice hay to line my new nest with.  But, if you will forgive me and let me go, I will repay you some day.  One good turn deserves another!"

    The lion burst out laughing.  He was so amused by the mouse's argument that he felt he could not eat such a funny little creature up.  So he let Mr. Mouse go, and went to sleep again, chuckling to himself and murmuring: "'One good turn deserves another!'  What a deliciously conceited little mouse!"

    In the cool dawn Mr. Lion woke, stretched himself, decided that it was going to be a fine day, and went hunting in the forest.  But, instead of being the hunter, he soon became the hunted.  A party from the King's palace, hard by, were looking for lions that morning-- not to kill, but to put in dens in the Royal Zoological Gardens.

    Soon the hunters caught sight of the great tracks made by Mr. Lion through the tall tangled grass.  After him they went, and presently caught him and tied him up with strong ropes.  Then they left the lion prostrate on the ground, while they hurried off for the cage in which he was to be taken to the King's Gardens.

    "G-r-r-r-r!" roared the lion.  "H-r-r-r-umph!"

    He tugged at the ropes in vain; but, a short distance off, a tiny mouse sat up and pricked its ears.

    "G-r-r-r-r!  H-r-r-r-umph!" roared the lion again.

    "I know that voice," murmured the mouse.  Off it pattered, at full speed, in the direction of the roars.  There it found Mr. Lion, tugging at the ropes, and making as much noise as a thunderstorm.

    "Pray keep still!" squeaked the mouse. "I have a better way with ropes than you have. Don't move, and I will set you free!"

    The little mouse set his tiny white teeth to the ropes, and began to gnaw.  And he gnawed first through one rope, and then through another, till just as the sound of the hunters coming with the cage echoed through the forest, the lion stood up, quite free.

   "I told you I would repay you some day!" cried the mouse, triumphantly.  "Now, you see, I have kept my word. Even a tiny mouse can help a lion."