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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."

THE CROW AND THE PITCHER