Le Lion et le Rat et autres fables

A big lion is asleep under a tree. A little mouse runs over his face, and the lion wakes up. He is angry. He catches the mouse with his big paw.

"Please don't kill me!" says the mouse. "Let me go, and one day I will help you."

The lion laughs. "You are very small. How can you help a lion?" But he opens his paw, and the mouse runs away.

A few days later, some hunters come to the forest. They catch the lion in a net and tie him to the ground with strong ropes. The lion cannot move. He roars and roars.

The little mouse hears the roar and knows it. She runs to the lion and bites the ropes with her small, sharp teeth. She bites one rope, then another, and another. Soon the lion is free.

"You laughed at me," says the mouse. "You said a mouse cannot help a lion. Now you know that even a little friend can be a great help."