The Lion and the Mouse

A Lion lay asleep in the forest, his great head resting on his paws.

一只狮子头枕着爪子在森林中睡觉。

A timid little Mouse came upon him unexpectedly, and in her fright and haste to get away, ran across the Lion's nose.

一只胆小的老鼠无意间遇上了狮子，吓得她赶紧跑开，但撞上了狮子的鼻子。

Roused from his nap, the Lion laid his huge paw angrily on the tiny creature to kill her.

狮子醒了过来，生气地把爪子扑向小老鼠，想打死她。

"Spare me!" begged the poor Mouse.

可怜的老鼠祈求道：“求求你，放过我吧！”

"Please let me go and some day I will surely repay you."

“让我走吧，总有一天我会报答你的。”

The Lion was much amused to think that a Mouse could ever help him.

虽然狮子觉得老鼠可能会帮上他的说法很可笑，

But he was generous and finally let the Mouse go.

但他还是慷慨地放走了老鼠

Some days later, while stalking his prey in the forest, the Lion was caught in the toils of a hunter's net.

过了几天，狮子在捕猎时，陷入了猎人设计的猎网中。

Unable to free himself, he filled the forest with his angry roaring.

脱不了身的狮子愤怒地咆哮着，声音传遍了森林。

The Mouse knew the voice and quickly found the Lion struggling in the net.

老鼠听出了这个声音，很快就发现了落入网中的狮子。

Running to one of the great ropes that bound him, she gnawed it until it parted, and soon the Lion was free.

老鼠跑向困住狮子的绳子的一端，咬断了它，狮子马上就得救了。

"You laughed when I said I would repay you," said the Mouse.

老鼠说道：“当初我说要回报你的时候你还笑了，”

"Now you see that even a Mouse can help a Lion."

“现在你看，即使一只老鼠也能帮助一只狮子。”

Moral

A kindness is never wasted.

寓意：

善有善报。