Lion　and　the　Mouse　
獅子和老鼠
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 ①.
“Forgive ② me,please,” cried the little mouse.“I may be able to help you some day.”
The lion was amused ③ at these words.He thought,“How could this little mouse help me?” However,he lifted up his paws and let him go.
A few days later,the lion was caught in a trap ④.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 ⑤.
Just then the little mouse passed by,and saw the sad lion.The little mouse went up to him,and soon gnawed ⑥ away the ropes.“Though I’m small,I can help you,too,” said the little mouse.
獅子睡著了,有只老鼠在他的身邊爬上爬下,很快吵醒了獅子,獅子很生氣,一把抓住了老鼠.
“饒了我吧,”老鼠請(qǐng)求說,“也許有一天我能幫上你的忙呢.”獅子覺得很好笑.他想：“這只小老鼠 怎么能幫上我的忙?”但他還是抬起爪子放他走了.
不久,獅子被陷阱困住了.獵人們想將獅子活捉獻(xiàn)給國王,就把他捆在一棵大樹上,然后去找馬車.
這時(shí),老鼠路過這里,看到了絕望中的獅子.他走過去,很快啃斷了繩索,說：“我雖小,可是我也能幫上你的忙.”
【注釋】 ① paw n.手掌,爪子 ② forgive v.原諒,寬恕 ③ amuse v.逗樂 ④ was caught in a trap 被陷阱困住 ⑤ wagon n.四輪馬車,貨車 ⑥ gnaw 咬,啃
【寓意】 有些朋友也許平時(shí)看似微不足道,但卻有可能在我們身處困境的時(shí)候提供巨大的幫助.