Dzielna mała myszka

Français: Un lion assoupi en son antre fut éveillé par une souris lui courant sur le visage. Se mettant en colère il la saisit de sa patte et était sur le point de la tuer. La souris, terrifiée, lui demanda piteusement de l'épargner. "Je t'en prie, laisse-moi partir," cria-t-elle, "et un jour je te rembourserai de ta gentillesse." L'idée qu'une créature si insignifiante puisse être jamais capable de faire quelque chose pour lui amusa tant le lion qu'il rit aux éclats et la laissa aimablement partir. Mais l'occasion vint finalement pour la souris. Le lion un jour se prit dans un filet qui avait été placé là par quelque chasseur, et ententant son rugissement de colère la souris le reconnut et courut sur les lieux. Sans plus de cérémonie elle se mit à ronger les cordes de ses dents, et parvint avant longtemps à libérer le lion. "Voilà !" dit la souris, "tu t'es moqué de moi lorsque j'ai promis de te rembourser : "mais, vois-tu, même une souris peut aider un lion;"

English: Once, as a lion lay sleeping in his den, a naughty little mouse ran up his tail, and onto his back and up his mane and danced and jumped on his head... ...so that the lion woke up. The lion grabbed the mouse and, holding him in his large claws, roared in anger. 'How dare you wake me up! Don't you know that I am King of the Beasts? Anyone who disturbs my rest deserves to die! I shall kill you and eat you!' The terrified mouse, shaking and trembling, begged the lion to let him go. 'Please don't eat me Your Majesty! I did not mean to wake you, it was a mistake. I was only playing. Please let me go - and I promise I will be your friend forever. Who knows but one day I could save your life?' The lion looked at the tiny mouse and laughed. 'You save my life? What an absurd idea!' he said scornfully. 'But you have made me laugh, and put me into a good mood again, so I shall let you go.' And the lion opened his claws and let the mouse go free. 'Oh thank you, your majesty,' squeaked the mouse, and scurried away as fast as he could. A few days later the lion was caught in a hunter's snare. Struggle as he might, he couldn't break free and became even more entangled in the net of ropes. He let out a roar of anger that shook the forest. Every animal heard it, including the tiny mouse. 'My friend the lion is in trouble,' cried the mouse. He ran as fast as he could in the direction of the lion's roar, and soon found the lion trapped in the hunter's snare. 'Hold still, Your Majesty,' squeaked the mouse. 'I'll have you out of there in a jiffy!' And without further delay, the mouse began nibbling through the ropes with his sharp little teeth. Very soon the lion was free. 'I did not believe that you could be of use to me, little mouse, but today you saved my life,' said the lion humbly.'It was my turn to help you, Sire,' answered the mouse. Even the weak and small may be of help to those much mightier than themselves.