Fable: The Lion and the Mouse
On the distant African savanna lived a majestic lion. Renowned for its strength and courage, it was the leader of all animals. One day, the lion dozed in the shade of a large tree, enjoying the tranquility of the afternoon.
Suddenly, a little mouse accidentally crawled onto the lion. Panicked, it scurried about, trying to find a way out. The lion, startled by the unexpected disturbance, opened its eyes and saw the small creature.
The lion opened its jaws, ready to swallow the audacious mouse whole. But just then, the mouse uttered a weak, trembling voice: "Oh, great lion, please don't eat me. Though I am insignificant, I wish to repay your forgiveness in my own way."
The lion was curious; it had never imagined a mouse could do anything for it. It decided to give the mouse a chance, saying, "Alright, little mouse, I'm in a good mood today, so I'll let you go. But you have to tell me how you plan to repay me?"
The mouse said gratefully, "If you ever encounter any difficulties in the future, I will do my best to help you." The lion smiled, thinking it was just a joke, but still let the mouse go.
As time passed, the lion's fame attracted the attention of hunters. One day, the lion unfortunately got caught in a huge trap; its legs were tightly clamped, and it couldn't move. The lion roared in pain, but no animal dared to approach, for they were afraid of the hunter's trap.
Just then, the mouse heard the lion's cries for help. It quickly ran to the lion and used its tiny teeth to slowly gnaw through the ropes of the trap. After much effort, the lion was finally freed.
The lion looked at the mouse gratefully and said, "I never expected that you, such a tiny mouse, could actually help me. I was wrong; I shouldn't have underestimated you. You have proven that even the smallest being has its unique value."
The mouse smiled and replied, "Great lion, you taught me to respect every life. And I am simply repaying your kindness."
From then on, the lion and the mouse became friends, and their story circulated on the grasslands for a long time, reminding all animals: do not look down on others because of their appearance or size, because in the most unexpected times, small acts of kindness may bring huge rewards.
*
On a bright summer day, a fox was wandering through the forest, searching for lunch. It had been walking for a long time, and its stomach was growling. Suddenly, it looked up and saw a grapevine laden with glistening grapes that looked incredibly delicious.
The fox stopped and stared intently at the grapes. It licked its lips, thinking, "How wonderful it would be if I could eat those grapes!" But the grapes hung too high, and the fox couldn't reach them no matter how hard it tried.
The fox circled the tree several times, trying to find a way to climb it. It tried to jump, but each time it fell just short. It even tried to bite the trunk with its mouth, hoping to climb up, but the trunk was too slippery, and it couldn't climb up at all.
The fox was very frustrated, but it didn't give up. It began searching around for tools that could help it reach the grapes. It found a long stick, but the stick was too short, and it still couldn't reach them. Then it found a stone and tried to throw it to knock the grapes down, but the stone was too small and couldn't reach the grapes at all.
Finally, the fox, panting heavily, sat down to rest under the tree. Looking up at the tempting grapes, it began to think, "Perhaps these grapes aren't as delicious as they look; they might be sour, or have worms in them." With this thought, the fox gradually calmed down.
It stood up, shook its head, and said to itself, "I don't need those grapes; I can find other food." So the fox continued its journey to find other food.
This story teaches us that sometimes we may encounter things we cannot obtain. In such situations, learning to accept reality, shift our focus, and find new solutions or new goals is a form of wisdom. Contentment brings happiness; don't be discouraged by what you can't have, as life offers many other wonderful things waiting to be discovered.
*
In a faraway forest lived a confident rabbit and a leisurely tortoise. The rabbit prided itself on its speed, while the tortoise was known for its patience and perseverance. One day, the forest animals gathered together, and the rabbit challenged the tortoise to a running race, wanting to prove that it was the fastest runner in the forest.
The tortoise accepted the challenge, even though the other animals thought it had no chance of winning. The rules of the race were simple: run from one side of the forest to the other, and whoever reached the other side first would be the winner.
On the day of the race, the sun shone brightly, and all the animals came to the starting line to watch. The rabbit and the tortoise stood on the starting line, and a tense atmosphere filled the air. With a whistle, the race began.
The rabbit darted off like an arrow, quickly leaving the tortoise far behind. It ran so fast that the tortoise soon disappeared from sight. The rabbit looked back, smiled smugly, and then decided to rest for a while under a big tree. It thought, "How could the tortoise possibly catch me when I'm so fast?"
Meanwhile, the tortoise crawled forward step by step, slowly but surely, never stopping. It knew that as long as it persevered, it would reach the finish line. The sun slowly rose higher, and the tortoise felt tired, but it did not give up.
Just as the tortoise continued its race, the rabbit fell asleep under the tree. It dreamed that it had won the race, and all the animals were cheering for it. However, when it awoke, it was astonished to find that the tortoise was already close to the finish line.
The rabbit panicked and jumped up, running desperately towards the finish line. But it was too late. When it reached the finish line, the tortoise was already there, surrounded by the other animals, celebrating its victory.
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