The Mouse That Saved the Lion – An Indian Tale from the Panchatantra

Description: This Panchatantra story tells how a tiny mouse helped a mighty lion, proving that mutual help is important and strength is not always about size. The story teaches that everyone can be useful, regardless of their weakness.

In a dense forest filled with wild animals, there lived a strong and majestic lion. He was the king of the jungle, and all the animals feared him. Among the forest’s inhabitants was a small mouse who lived in her burrow near the lion’s den. She often heard his mighty roar but tried to stay out of his sight.

One day, as the lion was peacefully sleeping under the shade of a large tree, the mouse came out of her burrow to play nearby. She ran back and forth until she accidentally ran right across the lion’s back. The lion woke up with a start and roared so loudly that the trees shook. He grabbed the mouse with his huge paw and glared at her angrily.

The mouse, trembling with fear, said, “Oh great lion, please spare me! I am so small that it is not worth your time to harm me. If you let me go, I promise I will help you one day.”

The lion laughed loudly: “You? A tiny mouse? Help me? That’s impossible! But your brave words have amused me. Run along!” With that, he let the mouse go and lay back down to sleep.

A few days later, the lion was wandering through the forest in search of prey when he unknowingly stepped into a trap set by hunters. They had laid a net to catch him. The lion struggled to free himself, but the net was too strong. He roared with all his might, hoping some animal would come to his aid, but the forest remained silent.

The mouse heard the roar and hurried towards the sound. She saw the lion caught in the net and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll help you!” The lion, desperate, replied, “What can you do? These ropes are too strong for me, and you are so small!”

But the mouse ignored his words. She quickly began gnawing at the ropes with her sharp teeth. Rope by rope, the net grew weaker until finally, the lion was free. The lion looked at the mouse with gratitude: “I laughed at you when you said you could help me. But now I see that even the small can do great things.”

The mouse smiled and said, “Everyone in this world can be useful. Even the smallest ones matter.”

From that day on, the lion and the mouse became friends. The lion never again mocked the small, and the mouse was proud to have helped the great king of the animals.

Moral: Do not judge strength and abilities by appearances. Even the smallest can help in difficult times if they believe in themselves and act.

Questions for Kids:

• Why did the lion decide to let the mouse go at the beginning of the story?
• How was the mouse able to save the lion?
• What lesson does this story teach us?