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]The Lion and the Mouse
A tiny mouse helps a mighty lion, who had once showed him mercy, escape from a trap.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1989
About the author
Aesop
2,280 books1,217 followersTradition considers Greek fabulist Aesop (620 BC - 564 BC) as the author of
Aesop's Fables
, including "The Tortoise and the Hare" and "The Fox and the Grapes."
This credited ancient man told numerous now collectively known stories. None of his writings, if they ever existed, survive; despite his uncertain existence, people gathered and credited numerous tales across the centuries in many languages in a storytelling tradition that continues to this day. Generally human characteristics of animals and inanimate objects that speak and solve problems characterize many of the tales.
One can find scattered details of his life in ancient sources, including Aristotle, Herodotus, and Plutarch. An ancient literary work, called The Aesop Romance tells an episodic, probably highly fictional version of his life, including the traditional description of him as a strikingly ugly slave (δοῦλος), whose cleverness acquires him freedom as an adviser to kings and city-states. Older spellings of his name included Esop(e) and Isope. A later tradition, dating from the Middle Ages, depicts Aesop as a black Ethiopian. Depictions of Aesop in popular culture over the last two and a half millennia included several works of art and his appearance as a character in numerous books, films, plays, and television programs.
Abandoning the perennial image of Aesop as an ugly slave, the movie Night in Paradise (1946) cast Turhan Bey in the role, depicting Aesop as an advisor to Croesus, king; Aesop falls in love with a Persian princess, the intended bride of the king, whom Merle Oberon plays. Lamont Johnson also plays Aesop the Helene Hanff teleplay Aesop and Rhodope (1953), broadcast on hallmark hall of fame.
Brazilian dramatist Guilherme Figueiredo published A raposa e as uvas ("The Fox and the Grapes"), a play in three acts about the life of Aesop, in 1953; in many countries, people performed this play, including a videotaped production in China in 2000 under the title Hu li yu pu tao or 狐狸与葡萄 .
Beginning in 1959, animated shorts under the title Aesop and Son recurred as a segment in the television series Rocky and His Friends and The Bullwinkle Show, its successor. People abandoned the image of Aesop as ugly slave; Charles Ruggles voiced Aesop, a Greek citizen, who recounted for the edification of his son, Aesop Jr., who then delivered the moral in the form of an atrocious pun. In 1998, Robert Keeshan voiced him, who amounted to little more than a cameo in the episode "Hercules and the Kids" in the animated television series Hercules.
In 1971, Bill Cosby played him in the television production Aesop's Fables.
British playwright Peter Terson first produced the musical Aesop's Fables in 1983. In 2010, Mhlekahi Mosiea as Aesop staged the play at the Fugard theatre in Cape Town, South Africa.
This credited ancient man told numerous now collectively known stories. None of his writings, if they ever existed, survive; despite his uncertain existence, people gathered and credited numerous tales across the centuries in many languages in a storytelling tradition that continues to this day. Generally human characteristics of animals and inanimate objects that speak and solve problems characterize many of the tales.
One can find scattered details of his life in ancient sources, including Aristotle, Herodotus, and Plutarch. An ancient literary work, called The Aesop Romance tells an episodic, probably highly fictional version of his life, including the traditional description of him as a strikingly ugly slave (δοῦλος), whose cleverness acquires him freedom as an adviser to kings and city-states. Older spellings of his name included Esop(e) and Isope. A later tradition, dating from the Middle Ages, depicts Aesop as a black Ethiopian. Depictions of Aesop in popular culture over the last two and a half millennia included several works of art and his appearance as a character in numerous books, films, plays, and television programs.
Abandoning the perennial image of Aesop as an ugly slave, the movie Night in Paradise (1946) cast Turhan Bey in the role, depicting Aesop as an advisor to Croesus, king; Aesop falls in love with a Persian princess, the intended bride of the king, whom Merle Oberon plays. Lamont Johnson also plays Aesop the Helene Hanff teleplay Aesop and Rhodope (1953), broadcast on hallmark hall of fame.
Brazilian dramatist Guilherme Figueiredo published A raposa e as uvas ("The Fox and the Grapes"), a play in three acts about the life of Aesop, in 1953; in many countries, people performed this play, including a videotaped production in China in 2000 under the title Hu li yu pu tao or 狐狸与葡萄 .
Beginning in 1959, animated shorts under the title Aesop and Son recurred as a segment in the television series Rocky and His Friends and The Bullwinkle Show, its successor. People abandoned the image of Aesop as ugly slave; Charles Ruggles voiced Aesop, a Greek citizen, who recounted for the edification of his son, Aesop Jr., who then delivered the moral in the form of an atrocious pun. In 1998, Robert Keeshan voiced him, who amounted to little more than a cameo in the episode "Hercules and the Kids" in the animated television series Hercules.
In 1971, Bill Cosby played him in the television production Aesop's Fables.
British playwright Peter Terson first produced the musical Aesop's Fables in 1983. In 2010, Mhlekahi Mosiea as Aesop staged the play at the Fugard theatre in Cape Town, South Africa.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 26, 2018
" Little friends may prove great friends."
This one was always my favourite one :)
This one was always my favourite one :)
February 22, 2023
Free from the Libary of Congress: https://read.gov/aesop/007.html
Can you waste kindness?
Can you waste kindness?
August 28, 2021
It's a beautiful short fable written by Aesop, that learns from it never ever judgment on anything or people don't know it, because maybe these people or thing help you in future.
November 27, 2016
A kindness is never wasted.
March 28, 2020
The Lion and the Mouse by Aesop was a wow fable/folklore book for me. I was able to access this book on Amazon kindle as an e-text. I've always loved this story about a big strong lion and the tiny mouse who form an unlikely friendship. The mouse wakes the sleeping lion who decides to let the mouse go and the mouse vows to return the help one day. As the lion is trapped by a poacher the mouse is finally able to return help to the lion and they start a friendship. I think this fable is a great story to teach students about the art of being kind and helpful to everyone and always remembering that anyone can be your friend, it doesn't matter what or where they come from and you never know who will be there for you in a time of need!
I would use this story in younger elementary grades, K-3 as a read aloud. I would have students study the sequencing in the book and have the younger grades identify the sequence in the book, while older grades I would have them use this as a mentor text to write their own story with sequence. I would also have all grades study fable elements and identify those in the story, including characters, setting, conflict/solution and/or moral of the story. Also, with older grades I would have students pick another fable story and create an compare/contrast map between the two fables noting those elements.
I would use this story in younger elementary grades, K-3 as a read aloud. I would have students study the sequencing in the book and have the younger grades identify the sequence in the book, while older grades I would have them use this as a mentor text to write their own story with sequence. I would also have all grades study fable elements and identify those in the story, including characters, setting, conflict/solution and/or moral of the story. Also, with older grades I would have students pick another fable story and create an compare/contrast map between the two fables noting those elements.
May 2, 2019
The fable of the Lion and the Mouse by Aesop is one all students should be familiar with and provides a moral lesson about helping others. I had almost forgotten it, but I think I would include several fables in my classroom library as they teach lessons in easy-to-understand language and using animal characters oftentimes.
September 9, 2019
I actually read the retold story by Blake Hoena which was really good. He gave credit to Aesop and also the illustrations were amazing. Very good book with a great lesson.
September 29, 2020
Awesome!
It was great! The children found it a very cheerful reading and love the meaning of the story. They love the meaning of the friendship.
It was great! The children found it a very cheerful reading and love the meaning of the story. They love the meaning of the friendship.
September 28, 2021
The purpose of the story: Size isn't everything, or don't sell them short.
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October 13, 2015Title: The Lion and the Mouse
Author: Aesop (Rand Burkett retelling)
Illustrator: Nancy Ekholm Burkert
Genre: Fable
Theme(s): Helping others, kindness, trust, repaying favors
Opening line/sentence: One day mouse, hurrying home, lost his way on a rocky ridge.
Brief Book Summary: This fable is about a mouse who almost gets killed by a lion. When the lion lets the mouse go, the mouse says he’ll repay the lion, and does, by freeing the lion from a hunter’s net he later gets caught in.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
Hornbook
(2) K-3 Illustrated by Nancy Ekholm Burkert. Nancy Ekholm Burkert brings her meticulous style to Aesop's classic, setting it--as did Jerry Pinkney in The Lion and the Mouse--in Africa. Rand Burkert's character-revealing, story-advancing dialogue is the sort to captivate a group. It's an admirable complement to the matchless Pinkney volume, sure to invite productive comparison. Author's and illustrator's notes are appended.
Professional Recommendation/Review #2:
Publishers Weekly
In jaunty prose, first-time author Rand Burkert—the illustrator’s son—retells Aesop’s fable of the mouse who stumbles over a lion (“Sire, I took you for a mountain—honestly!”) and pleads for his freedom (“You might need me someday, in a pinch”); the mouse fulfills the prediction by gnawing him free from a hunter’s net. “You shall also be free, Mouse!” says the lion. “I grant you liberty to climb every mountain in my kingdom.” Caldecott Honoree Nancy Ekholm Burkert’s (Snow-White and the Seven Dwarves) exquisitely drafted spreads celebrate the beauty of the African savannah, often from a mouse’s-eye view: a graceful blade of grass, a moth’s wing, the thorns of the scrubby African shrubs. Moments of drama are sometimes represented in a series of spot illustrations, the present instant in full color, those past or yet to come in pale blue, a lovely way of expressing time on an unmoving page. Creamy paper, a spare layout, and fine typography combine to create an object that reminds readers of the physical pleasures of books; it’s a gratifying addition to Nancy Ekholm Burkert’s small but treasured oeuvre. All ages. (Oct.)
Response to Two Professional Reviews: Both of these reviews were positive when speaking about this story. They commented mostly on illustrations, rather than the actual story itself though. They enjoyed the soft colored illustrations that were used, and praised mostly everything about this particular version of the classic Aesop Fable.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: The illustrations were very nice, using watercolor with pencil outlines. I also really liked that they went from one end of the page to the other; not necessarily covering the entire page, but stretching across it. This had a wonderful effect by making the drawings feel more life like, therefore the reader felt more engaged in the story. The colors were soft and not overwhelming, which was also a positive touch.
Consideration of Instructional Application: To use this story in the classroom, you could have students role play it in small groups to check for understanding. Once this is done, as a reflection activity, they could write about a time they helped someone that they might not have wanted to help. This could lead to a discussion about how important it is to help others, even if we don’t want to.
Author: Aesop (Rand Burkett retelling)
Illustrator: Nancy Ekholm Burkert
Genre: Fable
Theme(s): Helping others, kindness, trust, repaying favors
Opening line/sentence: One day mouse, hurrying home, lost his way on a rocky ridge.
Brief Book Summary: This fable is about a mouse who almost gets killed by a lion. When the lion lets the mouse go, the mouse says he’ll repay the lion, and does, by freeing the lion from a hunter’s net he later gets caught in.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
Hornbook
(2) K-3 Illustrated by Nancy Ekholm Burkert. Nancy Ekholm Burkert brings her meticulous style to Aesop's classic, setting it--as did Jerry Pinkney in The Lion and the Mouse--in Africa. Rand Burkert's character-revealing, story-advancing dialogue is the sort to captivate a group. It's an admirable complement to the matchless Pinkney volume, sure to invite productive comparison. Author's and illustrator's notes are appended.
Professional Recommendation/Review #2:
Publishers Weekly
In jaunty prose, first-time author Rand Burkert—the illustrator’s son—retells Aesop’s fable of the mouse who stumbles over a lion (“Sire, I took you for a mountain—honestly!”) and pleads for his freedom (“You might need me someday, in a pinch”); the mouse fulfills the prediction by gnawing him free from a hunter’s net. “You shall also be free, Mouse!” says the lion. “I grant you liberty to climb every mountain in my kingdom.” Caldecott Honoree Nancy Ekholm Burkert’s (Snow-White and the Seven Dwarves) exquisitely drafted spreads celebrate the beauty of the African savannah, often from a mouse’s-eye view: a graceful blade of grass, a moth’s wing, the thorns of the scrubby African shrubs. Moments of drama are sometimes represented in a series of spot illustrations, the present instant in full color, those past or yet to come in pale blue, a lovely way of expressing time on an unmoving page. Creamy paper, a spare layout, and fine typography combine to create an object that reminds readers of the physical pleasures of books; it’s a gratifying addition to Nancy Ekholm Burkert’s small but treasured oeuvre. All ages. (Oct.)
Response to Two Professional Reviews: Both of these reviews were positive when speaking about this story. They commented mostly on illustrations, rather than the actual story itself though. They enjoyed the soft colored illustrations that were used, and praised mostly everything about this particular version of the classic Aesop Fable.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: The illustrations were very nice, using watercolor with pencil outlines. I also really liked that they went from one end of the page to the other; not necessarily covering the entire page, but stretching across it. This had a wonderful effect by making the drawings feel more life like, therefore the reader felt more engaged in the story. The colors were soft and not overwhelming, which was also a positive touch.
Consideration of Instructional Application: To use this story in the classroom, you could have students role play it in small groups to check for understanding. Once this is done, as a reflection activity, they could write about a time they helped someone that they might not have wanted to help. This could lead to a discussion about how important it is to help others, even if we don’t want to.
February 20, 2017
This book is about a mighty lion who is awaken by a tiny mouse while he is sleeping. The lion is about to eat the small mouse then it begs for it's life and tells the lion that one day he will repay him. Soon after the lion gets trapped in a net and can't get free. The mouse comes along and saves the lions life by chewing part of the net and setting him free. I choose this book because it shows how to be kind to one anoher and that respect is important. The intended audience for this book would be kindergarten.
March 28, 2014
I couldn't find the copy illustrated by Ed Young on Goodreads, so I'm rating it here based on the 5 stars scoring system that I use for story time books. 1 star for illustration, 1 for length, 1 for a rhyming story, 1 for a book that encourages audience participation, 1 for a story I finished reading. Picture books that are toddler/preschool appropriate get stars. This book got 1 star for length. Few words on each page, not many pages total. 1 star for finishing the story; it wasn't too boring, annoying, nonsensical. A classical enjoyable fable, but the illustrations are too small and colorless to share with a group. However, the way the text was laid out intrigued me into turning the page. I think one-on-one reading would be best the best way to enjoy this book with a child.
May 27, 2014
"Mouse and Lion" is a feeble about a small mouse who is tiny, clever and brave. The king Lion shows him mercy and frees him one day. But years pass bye and the Lion gets into a trap and the little mouse frees him. The King lion gives the mouse the permission to climb any mountain in his kingdom and they become friends. Great book for narrative skills and the print is large and the first letters are enlarges, so good for print motivation and awareness.
January 24, 2015
The Lion and The Mouse- Quite a very good ebook for children ages 0-5 years old!
I liked the plot and the moral to this fiery short ebook with very brilliant illustrations that I would think make any child very happy to see and hear!
It shows how even one who does. not seem very big or important can still be found to be very useful and helpful to one even bigger than the are,etc.
I recommend this ebook for children ages0-5 years
I liked the plot and the moral to this fiery short ebook with very brilliant illustrations that I would think make any child very happy to see and hear!
It shows how even one who does. not seem very big or important can still be found to be very useful and helpful to one even bigger than the are,etc.
I recommend this ebook for children ages0-5 years
March 16, 2015
I had never heard this story, but I must say I really enjoyed it. I think it offers a great life lesson for kids that no matter who a person is, they might always be able to help you, no matter their size, or anything else. Another aspect of this book that I really enjoyed, and I think kids would love is that the illustrations look like a little kid drew them. I think this adds to the story because it brings it down to a kids level, but adults can still enjoy it as well.
August 25, 2015
The Lion and the Mouse is a great folktale from Aesop. A mouse is almost killed by the a lion, however the lion lets the mouse go and in return the mouse helped out the lion. This story is a great read to help teach how being kind to others can benefit them.
After reading the story and discussing the moral of the story, have students recreate a scene from the folktale using whatever arts and crafts you have.
After reading the story and discussing the moral of the story, have students recreate a scene from the folktale using whatever arts and crafts you have.
January 6, 2016
It's a cute tale with an appropriate message for children. Your friends can always be of use no matter what their differences. In the tale, the mouse is so much smaller than the lion. You would not think that a mouse could be of service to the king of the jungle, but size doesn't always matter. What a great message for children! Everyone serves a purpose and can be of use to each other regardless of size (or any other physical difference).
October 21, 2010
I liked this tale it is a good source to introduce students to old tales and could be used for character building. This particular story was enjoyable and slightly different yet not too far off from the original story.
January 23, 2015
Great Book
It really shows that someone small in size like a child or midget can do great things; and help those that are bigger than they are.
It really shows that someone small in size like a child or midget can do great things; and help those that are bigger than they are.
March 26, 2015
The storys were good because they all had a very good point to them
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June 30, 2019I am definetly the mouse in this story "was I not right?" seems like something I would say.
January 4, 2020
An Interesting short audible story
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May 30, 2017The Lion and the Mouse is a wonderful story about how people and animals of all sizes are able to help each other when needed. It is important, especially for children to understand that any act of kindness is important and does not go unnoticed.
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September 15, 2017A tiny mouse encounters a large lion one day. The lion goes to eat the mouse, when he begs him and tells him that he will not be a big enough meal for the lion. Just as the lion began to sleep under a tree, three wolves sneak up and heavy rope around him, tying him securely to the tree. No matter how hard the lion pulled, he could not get untangled from the rope. The mouse is there to help though, he bites through the rope, setting the lion free.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews