The Lion and the Mouse

Adapted by Daniel Errico

The lion slept through morning, and he napped all afternoon.

He didn’t hear the mouse walk by while whistling a tune.

Just that day, the mouse had stolen cheese from off a plate.

To feed his tiny family, which was cause to celebrate!

He shook his mousey tail and danced across the lion’s bed.

He shimmied up the lion’s mane and stomped atop his head!

The lion woke and moved the ground, with mighty fearsome roars,

And if the mouse wore pants he would have shaken in his drawers!

He grabbed the mouse and held him up to stare him in the eye,

“You woke me from my dream, you rodent. Best you tell me why.”

“I beg your Pardon lion, sir! That wasn’t my intention.

I didn’t see you there (you’re rather thin if I might mention!).”

“You’re also clearly smart, and I must say you’re handsome too!

Well, I’d better go. I’m sure we both have lots to do…”

“You’ve made a grave mistake, by waking up a mighty beast!

And now my stomach’s grumbling and it’s time to have a feast.”

“You mustn’t eat me!” said the mouse, “I swear it’s not my fault.”

The lion didn’t listen, he just sprinkled him with salt.

“The truth is I’m a mini-lion, ask my lion wife!”

But the lion knew this wasn’t true and grabbed a fork and knife.

“I’m poison!” said mouse, but this was also just a fib.

The lion knew much better, and he made himself a bib.

“I promise I will be your friend, if you will let me go.”

And one day I might save your life. You really never know!”

The lion dropped the mouse and starting laughing on the floor.

He laughed so hard he cried, and then he laughed a little more.

“You made me laugh,” the lion said, “So I will set you free.

But a mouse as small as you will never be of help to me.”

“You won’t regret this!” yelled the mouse, while scurrying away.

“It pays to have a friend like me, I’ll show you why some day!”

The lion soon forgot about the mouse he didn’t eat.

He hadn’t made a friend that day, he’d only lost a treat.

The mouse told all his daughters and his very grateful wife,

Of how his friend the lion couldn’t help but spare his life.

He bragged to all the hippos who were stunned in disbelief.

He told the caterpillar and she fell right off her leaf.

“I’m pretty much his closest friend. He calls me every day.

We made a best-friend-language up,” the little mouse would say.

Then one day, he heard a noise (he’d heard it once before).

It could’ve only been one thing- the mighty lion’s roar.

He ran to find the lion, who was trapped inside a snare.

It wrapped around and kept his legs from moving anywhere.

“I’m stuck,” the lion shouted, “and I cannot reach the rope.”

“I’ll never make it free,” he said, “There isn’t any hope.”

“No friend of mine,” the mouse declared, “will sit inside a trap!”

He gnawed across the ropes until they loosened with a SNAP!

“I told you,” said the mouse. “I got to help you after all!”

“An act of kindness isn’t ever wasted, big or small.”

The lion thanked the mouse and never doubted him again.

Every week the mouse’s family visited his den.

They were friends from that day on. He never did regret it.

The mouse made sure that not a single soul would soon forget it.