The Lion and the Mouse
A tiny promise becomes a very great kindness
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The Lion and the Mouse
A lion slept in the forest with his great head resting on his paws. Shade lay beneath the trees.
A little mouse came upon him, and in her frightened hurry to escape she ran across his nose. She had not meant to wake him.
The Lion and the Mouse
The lion woke angrily and caught the little mouse beneath his great paw. She could not run away.
“Please let me go,” she begged, promising that one day she would repay his kindness. It seemed an astonishing promise.
The Lion and the Mouse
The lion laughed at the thought that such a tiny mouse could ever help him. What could she possibly do for a creature so strong?
He chose to be generous, lifted his paw and let her go. The mouse was free again.
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Browse all storiesAbout this retelling
Explore this illustrated story at four reading levels. Each level follows the same essential events.
Collection: Fables
Retelling: Aesop tradition
For parents: After The Lion and the Mouse in The Aesop for Children (Rand McNally, 1919). New prose and art retain the female mouse, lion’s mercy, later hunter’s net, recognized roar, gnawed rope and repayment of kindness. No invented hunter confrontation or other rescuing animals.
Public-domain source: View the recorded source edition