One day a little mouse was wandering deep in the jungle.
"Oh no!" she thought, looking around. "I think I'm lost!"
The little mouse was tired and hungry. Sitting down to rest, she spotted something yellow in the grass.
"Food!" she thought.
She dashed over and bit into the yellow thing.
But it was not food. It was a tail—the tail of a huge lion!
"Ow!" The lion roared. "I am king of the jungle! Who dared to bite my tail?"
The mouse trembled in fear. "I'm sorry, my king. I'm lost and hungry. I didn't realize it was your tail. Please forgive me!"
The lion stared down at the tiny creature and laughed. "You bit my tail? Why, you're nothing but a little mouse!" He opened his jaws wide, ready to eat her.
"Wait!" the mouse cried. "I am much too small to eat. Please let me go. And in return, I promise . . ."
"Yes?"
The mouse thought fast. "I promise to help you someday."
"Ha-ha!" The lion laughed again, this time harder than before. "You're just a tiny mouse—you can't help me. I am the king of this jungle. I do not need anyone's help. But since you made me laugh, I will let you go."
"Thank you, my king. And you'll see. Someday I will help you!"
The mouse ran off fast before the lion changed his mind.
A few days later, the mouse was back in the jungle. She heard a familiar roar.
"Oh my," the mouse thought. "That sounds like the lion. Is he in trouble?"
She dashed toward the sound. Sure enough, there was the lion—trapped in a hunter's strong net!
"My king, do not worry!" the mouse said. "I will help you!"
"It's you again." The lion sighed. "How can you help a big lion like me? You're much too small to do anything."
"Just watch," the mouse said.
The mouse began chewing on the net. Soon she had made a big hole. The lion slipped right through it!
The large king of the jungle bowed to the little mouse.
"Thank you, Mouse," he said. "You kept your promise and saved my life. I'll never judge anyone by their size again."