The Lion And The Mouse
A Lion lay asleep in the forest, his great head resting on his paws. A timid little Mouse came upon him unexpectedly, and in her fright and haste to get away, ran across the Lion's nose. Roused from his nap, the Lion laid his huge paw angrily on the tiny creature to kill her.
"Spare me!" begged the poor Mouse. "Please let me go and some day I will surely repay you."
The Lion was much amused to think that a Mouse could ever help him. But he was generous and finally let the Mouse go.
Some days later, while stalking his prey in the forest, the Lion was caught in the toils of a hunter's net. Unable to free himself, he filled the forest with his angry roaring. The Mouse knew the voice and quickly found the Lion struggling in the net. Running to one of the great ropes that bound him, she gnawed it until it parted, and soon the Lion was free.
"You laughed when I said I would repay you," said the Mouse. "Now you see that even a Mouse can help a Lion."
A kindness is never wasted.
- Aesop (~620-564 B.C.) (Source)
Regarding kindness, there’s no right way to do the wrong thing-
ReplyDeleteBlessings to you.
B, I am a bit confused by your comment. In point of fact there is no right way to do a wrong thing, but that is not really the point of the fable - rather, that no kindness is too small not to be done and many (to be fair, not all) are "wasted. Could you elaborate a bit more?
DeleteMy apologies for the lack of context…
DeleteI was enjoying your post along with my first cup of coffee this morning and I immediately recalled several instances in my past where I had been much less than kind in my treatment of mice. (Figuratively speaking)
I was nodding my head as I wrote that comment.
Sheesh, I’ll try to stay more on topic!
I appreciate your kind reply.
B - No need for apologies! I am not at my best before my Xth cup of coffee in the morning (not my first, I can assure you) either!
DeleteBut your point is well taken. I, too, am often not as "kind" to the mice in my life as I should be.
Do something nice for someone else is a good guidepost to go through Life with TB and it may come back to you somehow sometime.
ReplyDelete"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" has a nice ring to it, Nylon12.
DeleteThe frozen bird the hot cow dung and the cat that dug him out story comes to mind.
ReplyDeleteFables still have value for those who listen.
That is also a great fable, Anon.
DeleteFables have not done well in the modern world. It is a shame, really: they are narrative examples of pithy advice, often come via long folk wisdom and experience.
TB…You spread loads of kindness through your blog posts. Your writing makes you come across as someone who is humble, kind, and gentle and thoughtful in your words and actions towards others.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much.
DeleteI have had the advantage of having very good examples in my life, both in my family and outside of it. To be fair, I do not know that I have always been so; I have made many, many mistakes which at this point I wish could be undone. But that is not the way life works.
I wonder if the lion charged interest?
ReplyDeleteProbably, John. Felines come across as the calculating sort in the animal world. That said, I suspect the interest was cleared off at the moment of need.
DeleteThis tale holds wisdom for all the lions and mice out there.
ReplyDeleteGood point, Becki. We are not all lions, we are not all mice. But we all benefit from kindness.
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