Tiny Animals Can Help Also

Myths

October-December 1996

There was a big forest.  In this forest there was living a big lion.  He was the biggest animal in the forest.  He told himself that no one could kill or fight with him.  As a result, every animal must give him complete respect.  If anyone bothered him, he would kill him.

   One day while the lion was sleeping near the lake, a small mouse was playing hear him.  This mouse wasn't afraid because the lion was sleeping.  Suddenly the small mouse made the lion wake up when he fell into the lake.  The lion caught this small mouse, stared at him and said:  "How could you do that?  You don't know I'm the king?  I'll kill you."  The small mouse was crying and said: "Please, please don't kill me, let me go.  I am very small and I promise to help you one day."  The lion left the mouse and said: "OK, you can go because you are small.  I don't think you can help the king.  But if you do it another time I'll kill you.

   After a few days the lion was caught inside a hunter's net.  He was crying and tried to tear the net.  There was no way to tear the net.  Other animals were laughing and they couldn't tear that net.  The small mouse heard about the lion and came to help him.  Because of the mouse's strong teeth, he tore the net and the lion was free again.  The lion apologized to the mouse and said:  "I thought I was very big and strong.  You embarrassed me.  I know now that tiny animals can do a lot of things."

   -Mohammed