When a lion was asleep, a little mouse began running up and down beside him. This soon wakened the lion. He was very angry, and caught the mouse in his paws.

"Forgive me, please." cried the little mouse. "I may be able to help you someday." The lion was tickled¹ at these words.

He thought, "How could this little mouse help me?" However he lifted up his paws and let him go.

A few days later, the lion was caught in a trap.

The hunters wanted to take him alive to the king, so they tied him to a tree, and went away to look for a wagon².

Just then the little mouse passed by, and saw the sad lion.

He went up to him, and soon gnawed³ away the ropes. "Was I not right?" asked the little mouse.

狮子睡着了，有只老鼠在他的周围爬上爬下，很快吵醒了狮子，狮子很生气，一把抓住了老鼠。

“饶了我吧，”老鼠请求说，“也许有一天我能帮上你的忙呢。”狮子觉得很好笑，他想：“这只小老鼠怎么能帮上我的忙？”但他还是抬起爪子放他走了。

不久，狮子被陷阱困住了。猎人们想将活狮子献给国王，就把他捆在一棵大树上，然后去找马车。

这时，老鼠路过这里，看到了绝望中的狮子。他走过去，很快啃断了绳索，说：“我虽小，可是我也能帮上你的忙。”