獅子在自己的窩裡睡著了，卻被一隻跑到他臉上的老鼠吵醒了。獅子非常生氣，用爪子抓住老鼠，準備弄死他。戰戰兢兢的老鼠請求獅子饒了他的性命。“求你放了我吧，”老鼠哭喊道，“我肯定會報答你的恩情。”一個不足掛齒的小生命肯為自己做任何事，獅子被如此無意義的想法逗笑了，便隨和地放他走了。

　　不久，老鼠報恩的機會終於來了。有一天，獅子被獵人們布置好的大網纏住了，憤怒地大吼起來，老鼠聽到了獅子的哀嚎，迅速趕來。老鼠輕鬆地走過去開始噬咬繩索，很快就成功地放走了獅子。

　　老鼠說：“看吧！當我許諾要報恩你時，你還嘲笑我；現在你可看到了，即便一隻小老鼠也能幫助一頭大獅子。”

【獅子和報恩的老鼠的寓意】

　　獅子和報恩的老鼠這則寓言故事說明了，時運交替變更，強者也會有需要弱者的時候。

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THE LION AND THE MOUSE

　　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 another 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 recognized 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 to flee“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.”