A lion, the King of the Jungle, once lay down to take a nap. As he was sleeping, a little mouse began to run all over the lion's body. When it ran across the lion's nose, it woke up the lion.

The lion was furious at the mouse for disturbing his nap. The lion caught the mouse with his big paws and opened his jaws wide and was about to swallow the mouse.

The desperate little mouse began crying loudly to the lion, “Oh, mighty King, please, don't eat me, please, please!” The angry lion replied, “Why should I set you free? You will make a nice afternoon snack.”

The mouse pleaded with the lion, “Oh please, sir, if you set me free, I promise that someday, I will repay you.” The lion was so amused at the suggestion that a tiny mouse could ever help out a lion that he began to laugh. “You are such an amusing little creature, you are free to go.”

Some time later, the lion got caught in a hunter's trap. When the hunter found him, he put a rope around the lion's neck and tied him to a tree. The hunter left the lion there while he went back to get someone to help him put the lion in a cage.

The lion struggled to get free, but it was no use. In frustration, the lion let out a big roar. The tiny mouse heard the lion's roar and realized that the lion must be in trouble, so he hurried to the lion's rescue.

When the mouse arrived, he began to gnaw on the rope with his tiny teeth until he bit through the rope and set the lion free.

“You see,” said the little mouse, “You laughed at me before, but even a small mouse like me can help a big lion.”

“Your are right,” said the lion. “I will never misjudge another creature again. Thank you for setting me free.”

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The lion and the horsefly.

A horsefly approached a lion and said, “You think you are so tough because you are King of the Beasts. But I am mightier than you.” The lion laughed and said, “You'll have to prove it.”

So the horsefly began biting the lion on the nose and all over his face. The angry lion tried to hit the horsefly with his sharp claws but in the process he cut up his own face. “Enough!” the lion finally cried. “You win.”

The horsefly flew away all proud of himself for beating the lion, but as he was celebrating, he flew into a spider's web and was eaten by a spider.