Ages 5-7
A lion sets a tiny mouse free. When a net traps the lion, his little friend shows that everyone has something to offer.
Fable attributed to Aesop · Adapted by Pewitos
A booklet with 2 pages per side: print double-sided flipping on the short edge, fold the stack in half, and staple along the fold.
The same story as the illustrated book, ready for reading aloud, selecting text, or using a screen reader.
A lion was sleeping in the shade of an acacia tree. Nearby, a little mouse scurried among the dry leaves. He was so distracted that he did not notice the great mane in front of him.
The mouse climbed up one of the lion's legs and crossed his back. The lion suddenly opened his eyes and gently caught him beneath one enormous paw.
"Please forgive me!" begged the mouse. "I didn't mean to wake you. If you let me go, perhaps I can help you one day." The lion looked at him curiously. That mouse was tiny.
"You, help me?" laughed the lion. But the mouse seemed sincere, so he decided to let him go. "Off you go, little one. Be more careful." The mouse thanked him and ran away.
Days later, the lion was walking among the trees when he stepped onto a hidden net. The ropes closed around him. He pulled at them, but the knots would not give way.
The lion called for help. His voice reached the mouse, who was looking for seeds beside a stone. "I know that voice!" he said, and ran toward the trees.
When he found the lion, the mouse approached without fear. "Stay still. I'm going to help you." He found a thick rope near the ground and held it in his tiny paws.
The mouse began to gnaw. He bit once, then again, and again. The threads broke one by one until a rope snapped. Then he moved on to the rope beside it.
At last, a gap opened in the net. The lion pulled out one paw, then the other, and he was free. He shook his mane and looked at his little friend in amazement.
"You saved me," said the lion. "I will never again think anyone is too small to help." The mouse smiled. From then on, they were friends: no act of kindness is too small.
Pewitos · Reading together
The lion is strong enough to catch the mouse, but strength alone cannot break the net. Small teeth solve a different kind of problem. This fable separates size from ability and shows that returning help need not mean doing exactly the same thing.
The mouse is caught beneath a paw and later the lion is trapped in a net. Both become free. Explain the ending if being trapped worries the child. Use drawings for the activity rather than tying up or confining anyone.
The fable attributed to Aesop unfolds through a step-by-step rescue. The questions compare the lion’s strength with the work of the mouse’s teeth.
Editing and reading guide: Pewitos. Ages and reading times are suggestions; preview the story for your reader.
Suggest a correction or tell us how reading wentFable attributed to Aesop · Adapted by Pewitos
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