The Lion, the Mouse, and the Sleepy Bear

Once upon a time, in a lush forest, there lived a small mouse. Nearby, in a neighboring cave, there was a huge bear who had hibernated months ago. The bear was still sleeping and snoring loudly, causing the little mouse to lose sleep all winter. One day, the mouse decided to wake the bear up.

“Mr. Bear, hey, Mr. Bear! Summer has come, you can wake up anytime now,” said the mouse. However, the bear didn’t wake up. Frustrated, the mouse brought a bugle and blew it vigorously, but the bear kept on snoring.

Wandering sleeplessly in the forest, the little mouse met some animal friends. “What happened, little mouse? Why are you sad?” they asked.

“Oh, don’t ask! All winter, I couldn’t sleep because of the bear’s snoring, and he still won’t wake up!” the mouse replied.

“Hmm, maybe the lion can help you,” suggested one of the animals.

“What? Why would I go talk to him?” asked the mouse, feeling uneasy.

“Because the lion roars so loud that everyone jumps up the moment they hear his voice,” said his friends.

Though the mouse was scared, he decided to visit the lion, the king of the forest. The lion was sleeping in front of his cave when the little mouse arrived. Terrified, the mouse almost turned back, but as he stepped on a branch, the lion woke up.

“What’s that noise? What are you doing in front of my cave?” growled the lion.

“Well… um… sorry to wake you, but I came to ask for your help,” the mouse stammered.

The lion looked down at him. “You’re not even big enough to be considered a snack, little mouse. Why should I help you?”

“Dear, fearsome lion, you have to wake up my neighbor, the big bear, who won’t wake up from hibernation. My voice is too small, but one roar from you can solve everything,” explained the mouse.

The lion scoffed. “I don’t have time to waste on a tiny, useless mouse like you. I am the king of the forest!” With that, the lion walked away without helping.

Later, while returning home sadly, the mouse heard a strange wheezing sound coming from the forest. He followed the noise and discovered the lion furiously itching himself against a tree. The mouse realized the lion had fleas jumping around in his fur, causing his discomfort.

“You have fleas, Mr. Lion. Let me help you,” the mouse offered.

“How can you help me? You’re just a little mouse. Leave me alone!” roared the lion.

Ignoring the lion’s rude words, the brave mouse jumped onto his back and began crawling through the thick fur, throwing out the fleas. However, this made the itching worse, and the lion started scratching himself even more.

Desperate, the lion ran to a nearby lake and jumped into the water, nearly drowning the poor mouse clinging to his fur. “Mr. Lion, get out of the water! I’ll drown!” shouted the mouse.

The lion climbed out and shook himself dry, nearly tossing the mouse off. “Just a little more to the left,” the mouse said as he continued to remove the last few fleas.

Finally, the lion stopped scratching, and the itching disappeared. “How do you feel now?” asked the mouse.

“It’s like my itching is gone!” the lion exclaimed in surprise.

“That’s because I cleaned all the fleas for you, sir,” said the mouse. The lion was embarrassed by how he had treated the mouse earlier.

“I looked down on you when you asked for help, but you saved me from a very difficult situation. Thank you,” the lion said humbly.

“You’re welcome, Mr. Lion,” replied the mouse.

The lion, now grateful, offered the mouse a ride home. As they approached the mouse’s home, they heard loud snoring coming from the bear’s cave.

“Huh, what’s that noise?” asked the lion.

They entered the cave and found the bear still snoring away. The lion took a deep breath and let out a powerful roar, so loud that the entire cave shook. The bear jumped up and ran out of the cave in confusion.

“What happened? Did the sun come out? Is it summer already?” the bear asked, bewildered.

All the forest animals laughed at the silly bear, and the little mouse was finally able to enjoy a peaceful, quiet summer.