The Lion and the Mouse
Shi zi he lao shu
狮子和老鼠

从前，丛林之王狮子睡着了，一只小老鼠开始在它身上跑来跑去。
Once when a lion, the king of the jungle, was asleep, a little mouse began running up and down on him.


这很快就吵醒了狮子，它把它的大爪子放在老鼠身上，张开它的大嘴要把它吞下去。
This soon awakened the lion, who placed his huge paw on the mouse, and opened his big jaws to swallow him.


“原谅我，国王!”小老鼠叫道。“这次请原谅我。我再也不会这样做了，我将永远不会忘记您的善良。谁知道呢，说不定有一天我能帮上您的忙呢!”
"Pardon, O King!" cried the little mouse. "Forgive me this time. I shall never repeat it and I shall never forget your kindness. And who knows, I may be able to do you a good turn one of these days!”


想到老鼠能帮助它，狮子觉得很好笑，于是举起爪子就放了它。
The lion was so tickled by the idea of the mouse being able to help him that he lifted his paw and let him go.


一段时间过去后，几个猎人抓住了狮子，把它绑在树上。然后它们就去找一辆马车，把它带到动物园去。
Sometime later, a few hunters captured the lion, and tied him to a tree. After that they went in search of a wagon, to take him to the zoo.


就在这时，小老鼠碰巧经过。看到狮子的困境，它跑到狮子面前，咬断了束缚这位丛林之王的绳索。
Just then the little mouse happened to pass by. On seeing the lion’s plight, he ran up to him and gnawed away the ropes that bound him, the king of the jungle.


“我说得不对吗?”小老鼠说道，并很开心的能帮助到狮子。
"Was I not right?" said the little mouse, very happy to help the lion.