One day a lion was sleeping peacefully in the forest when a mouse ran across his paw. Then he ran up the nose of the lion, awakening the great beast from his sleep.

The lion caught the little creature and the mouse, shivering with fear, cried out for mercy. "Please have mercy on me, King Lion! Please don's kill me! Forgive me this time, and I will never forget it. A day may come when I may be able to do something for you to repay your kindness."The lion smiled at the mouse's fright and laughed at the thought that so small a creature could ever help him, but he let the mouse go.

Not long after this, the lion was caught in a hunter's net. The angry lion let out a roar that could be heard far and wide throughout the forest. Even the mouse heard it. He knew it was the voice of the lion. He recalled that the lion had been merciful to him then. So he ran to the place where the lion lay caught in the net of ropes. He said to him, "King Lion, now it's time for me to repay you."

The mouse set to work at once, biting with his sharp little teeth at the heavy ropes that held the lion. Soon the lion was free.

   paw      手掌，手爪     beast    兽，畜牲 

   shiver   颤抖     mercy    宽恕，怜悯 

   forgive  原谅     repay    报答 

   recall   回想，记起     merciful 仁慈的，慈悲的

                                狮子王和老鼠

  一天，狮子正在森林里安静地睡觉，就在这时，一只老鼠从他爪子上跑过。接着老鼠又跑到狮子的鼻子上，把兽中之王从睡梦中惊醒。 

  狮子一把抓住那只小动物，而老鼠害怕地颤抖着，哭着求饶。 

“请饶了我吧，狮子大王！不要杀我！原谅我这次吧，我永远都不会忘记的。也许有一天我能为你做些事情来报答你的仁慈。” 

  狮子笑着看着惊恐万分的老鼠，嘲笑这么小的一只动物竟然能有帮助他的想法，但他还是把老鼠放走了。 

  在这之后不久，狮子被猎人的网套住了。愤怒的狮子发出嚎叫声，整个森林都能听到，甚至连老鼠都听到了。他知道这是狮子的声音。他想起狮子曾经对他很仁慈。所以他跑到狮子被绳网套住的地方。他对狮子说：“狮子大王，现在是我报答你的时候了。” 

  老鼠马上开始工作，用他又尖又小的牙齿咬断缚住狮子的大绳。很快狮子就自由了。