《狮子和老鼠》 伊索寓言的原文

狮子与报恩的老鼠

　　狮子睡着了，有只老鼠跳到了他身上。狮子猛然站起来，把他抓住，准备吃掉。老鼠请求饶命，并说如果保住性命，必将报恩，狮子轻蔑地笑了笑，便把他放走了。不久，狮子真的被老鼠救了性命。原来狮子被一个猎人抓获，并用绳索把他捆在一棵树上。老鼠听到了他的哀嚎，走过去咬断绳索，放走了狮子，并说：“你当时嘲笑我，不相信能得到我的报答，现在可清楚了，老鼠也能报恩。”
　　这故事说明，时运交替变更，强者也会有需要弱者的时候。

Aesop's Fables
　　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 him， and opened his big jaws to swallow him. "Pardon， O King，" cried the little Mouse： "forgive me this time， I shall never forget it： who knows but what I may be able to do you a turn some 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. Some time after 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 waggon to carry him on. Just then the little Mouse happened to pass by， and seeing the sad plight in which the Lion was， 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.
　　Little friends may prove great friends.