A LION was awakened from sleep by a Mouse running over his face. Rising up angrily, he caught him and was about to kill him, when the Mouse piteously entreated, saying: If you would only spare my life, I would be sure to repay your kindness. The Lion laughed and let him go. It happened shortly after this that the Lion was caught by some hunters, who bound him by strong ropes to the ground. The Mouse, recognizing his roar, came and gnawed the rope with his teeth and set him free, exclaiming:

　　You ridiculed the idea of my ever being able to help you, expecting to receive from me any repayment of your favor; now you know that it is possible for even a Mouse to con benefits on a Lion.

　　獅子睡著了，有只老鼠跳到了他身上。獅子猛然站起來，把他抓住，準(zhǔn)備吃掉。老鼠請 求饒命，并說如果保住性命，必將報恩，獅子輕蔑地笑了笑，便把他放走了。不久，獅子真 的被老鼠救了性命。原來獅子被一個獵人抓獲，并用繩索把他捆在一棵樹上。老鼠聽到了他 的哀嚎，走過去咬斷繩索，放走了獅子，并說：

　　你當(dāng)時嘲笑我，不相信能得到我的報答， 現(xiàn)在可清楚了，老鼠也能報恩。 這故事說明，時運交替變更，強(qiáng)者也會有需要弱者的時候。