The Lion and the Mouse
Once when a Lion was asleep, a little mouse began running up and down upon him. This soon wakened the lion, who placed his huge paw upon the mouse, and opened his big jaws to swallow him.
"Pardon, O King," cried the little mouse: "Forgive me this time, and I shall never forget it. Who knows what I may be able to do for you in turn one of these days?"
The Lion was so tickled at the idea of the mouse being able to help him that he lifted up his paw and let him go.
Sometime later the lion was caught in a trap and the hunters who desired to carry him alive to the king tied him to a tree while they went in search of a wagon to carry him on. Just then the little mouse happened to pass by, and seeing the sad plight of the lion he went up to him and soon gnawed away the ropes that bound the king of the beasts.
"Was I not right?" said the little mouse.
Moral: “Small friends may prove to be great friends.”
Extracted from<http://www.aesops-fables.org.uk/aesop-fable-the-lion-and-the-mouse.htm>. Accessed on February 12, 2010.
The Hare and the Tortoise
The hare was once boasting of his speed before the other animals. "I have never yet been beaten," said he, "when I put forth my full speed. I challenge any one here to race with me."
The Tortoise said quietly, "I accept your challenge."
"That is a good joke," said the hare; "I could dance round you all the way."
"Keep your boasting till you've beaten me," answered the tortoise. "Shall we race?"
So a course was fixed and a start was made. The hare darted almost out of sight at once, but soon stopped and, to show his contempt for the tortoise, lay down to have a nap. The tortoise plodded on and plodded on, and when the hare awoke from his nap, he saw the tortoise just near the winning-post and could not run up in time to save the race.
Then said the tortoise, “Plodding wins the race.”
Moral: “Slow and steady progress wins the race.”
Extracted from <http://www.aesops-fables.org.uk/aesop-fable-the-hare-and-the-tortoise.htm>. Accessed on February 12, 2010.
Read the sentence below. It was extracted from fables. Choose the best synonym for the words in bold.
“The Lion was so tickled at the Idea of the mouse being able to help him that he lifted up his paw and let him go.”