The Lion and the Mouse by Esopo
The Lion and the Mouse is a fable written by Aesop. The story goes like this: A lion spares the life of a mouse that it has caught, despite being much smaller and weaker than itself. Later, when the lion is caught in a hunter's net, the mouse comes to its rescue and gnaws through the ropes to set the lion free. The moral of the story is that "the smallest of creatures can sometimes be of great help."
By Esopo · First published 1667 · Genre: Fable, Children's Literature, Classic Literature · 203 words
First lines
A Lion asleep in his lair was waked up by a Mouse running over his face. Losing his temper he seized it with his paw and was about to kill it. The Mouse, terrified, piteously entreated him to spare its life. "Please let me go," it cried, "and one day I will repay you for your kindness. " The idea of so insignificant a creature ever being able to do anything for him amused the Lion so much that he laughed aloud, and good-humouredly let it go. But the Mouse's chance came, after all. One day the Lion got entangled in a net which had been spread for game by some hunters, and the Mouse heard and recognised his roars of anger and ran to the spot. Without more ado it set to work to gnaw the ropes with its teeth, and succeeded before long in setting the Lion free. "There! " said the Mouse, "you laughed at me when I promised I would repay you: but now you see, even a Mouse can help a Lion. "
What this Textopian page supports
The Lion and the Mouse is listed on Textopian as a fable by Esopo, dated 1667 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Fable
- Author: Esopo
- Date: 1667 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fable, Children's Literature, Classic Literature, Folklore, Moral Story
- Length: 203 words
- Structure: 1 section, 1 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Lion and the Mouse by Esopo
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Similar titles
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- The Tunny Fish And The Dolphin by Esopo
- The Mouse The Frog And The Hawk by Esopo
- The Lion The Mouse And The Fox by Esopo
- The Bear And The Travellers by Esopo
- The Lion And The Three Bulls by Esopo
Genres
- Fable — This book is a story featuring animals with human-like qualities, incorporating a moral message, which fits the description of a fable.
- Children's Literature — The simple storytelling and the moral message make it suitable and often directed for children.
- Classic Literature — 'The Lion and the Mouse' is old and has been retold, translated, and adapted many times, earning it a place in classic literature.
- Folklore — This story originates from ancient times and has been handed down the generations, fitting the genre of folklore.
Tags
fable · morality · friendship · kindness · courage · animals · helping others · humility · size · strength · reciprocity · gratitude