The Lion and the Mouse
사자와 생쥐
The Story
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A big lion was asleep in the warm sun.A little mouse ran across his paw and woke him up.
The lion caught the mouse in his great paw. “Now I will eat you!”“Please let me go,” cried the mouse. “One day I may help you.”
The lion laughed. How could such a tiny mouse ever help a lion? But he let her go.Some days later, the lion was caught in a hunter’s net.
He roared and pulled, but he could not get free.The little mouse heard him and came running.
She bit the thick ropes, one by one, until the net fell open.“You were right,” said the lion. “Even a small friend can be a great help.”
A kind act is never wasted.
Full translationTry the story first — open this only to check your understanding.
커다란 사자가 따뜻한 햇볕 아래에서 잠들어 있었어요. 작은 생쥐 한 마리가 사자의 앞발 위를 지나가는 바람에 사자가 잠에서 깼어요.
사자는 커다란 앞발로 생쥐를 붙잡았어요. "이제 너를 잡아먹어야겠다!" "제발 놓아주세요." 생쥐가 애원했어요. "언젠가 제가 도와드릴 수도 있어요."
사자는 웃었어요. 이렇게 작은 생쥐가 어떻게 사자를 돕는단 말이야? 그래도 사자는 생쥐를 놓아주었어요. 며칠 뒤, 사자는 사냥꾼의 그물에 걸리고 말았어요.
사자는 울부짖으며 몸부림쳤지만, 빠져나올 수 없었어요. 작은 생쥐가 그 소리를 듣고 달려왔어요.
생쥐는 굵은 밧줄을 하나씩 하나씩 물어뜯었고, 마침내 그물이 열렸어요. "네 말이 맞았어." 사자가 말했어요. "작은 친구도 큰 도움이 될 수 있구나."
친절한 행동은 결코 헛되지 않아요.
Comprehension Check
1. Why did the lion let the mouse go?
2. How did the mouse help the lion later?
3. What is the lesson of this fable?
Vocabulary
noun
paw
(동물의) 발, 앞발
The mouse ran across the lion's paw.
생쥐가 사자의 앞발 위를 지나갔어요.
Your Summary
In 1–2 sentences, explain how the tiny mouse repaid the lion for setting her free.
Source: Adapted from Aesop's Fables (public domain, c. 6th century BCE). This retelling and its Korean translation are original text written for SeoJae Story.
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