The Lion and the Mouse

　　The Lion and the Mouse

　　When a Lion was asleep, a little Mouse began running up and down beside him. This soon wakened the Lion. He was very angry, and caught the Mouse in his paws.

　　“Forgive me, please,” cried the little Mouse, “I may be able to help you someday.” The Lion was tickled at these words. He thought, “How could this little Mouse help him?” However he lifted up his paws and let him go.

　　A few days later, the Lion was caught in a trap. The hunters wanted to take him alive to the King, so they tied him to a tree, and went away to look for a wagon.

　　Just then the little Mouse passed by, and saw the sad Lion. It went up to him, and soon gnawed away the ropes. “Was I not right?” asked the little Mouse.

The Lion in Love

　　The Lion in Love

　　A Lion once fell in love with a beautiful girl, so he went to her parents and asked them to marry her to him.

　　The old people did not know what to say. They did not like the idea of giving to give their daughter to the Lion, but they did not want to enrage the King of Beasts.

　　At last the father said, “We are glad to marry our daughter to you, but we fear that you might possibly hurt her. So if you remove your claws and teeth, we will give her to you.”

　　The Lion loved the girl very much, so he trimmed his claws and took out his big teeth. When he came to the parents again, they simply laughed in his face, and beat him out of their house.

The Lion, the Fox, and the Beasts

　　The Lion, the Fox, and the Beasts

　　The Lion once said that he was sick on his death bed. So he asked all the animals to come and hear his last wishes.

　　The Goat came to the Lion’s cave. He stood there and listened for a long time. Then a Sheep went in. Before she came out, a Rabbit entered to hear the last wishes of the King of Beasts.

　　But soon the Lion seemed to recover, and went to the mouth of his cave. He saw a Fox waiting outside. “Why don’t you come in?” asked the Lion to the Fox.

　　“I beg your Majesty’s pardon,” said the Fox, “I have seen many animals enter your cave, but none of them came out. Till they come out again, I prefer to wait outside.”

The Sick Lion

　　The Sick Lion

　　A Lion had come to the end of his days. He lay helpless under a tree.

　　The animals came around him. When they saw that he was going to die, they thought to themselves, “Now is the time to pay him back.” So the Boar came up and rushed at him with his tusks. Then a Bull gored him with his horns. The Lion still lay helpless before them.

　　So the Ass felt quite safe. He turned his tail to the Lion and kicked up his heels into his face. “This is a double death,” growled the Lion.