Story Creatures: Live

Once upon a time, deep in a great green forest, the trees grew so tall their branches touched the sky. Sunlight filtered down through the leaves and made golden patches on the soft mossy ground. Birds sang in the treetops. Squirrels chased each other up and down the bark. It was a beautiful, peaceful place.

In this forest lived a great big lion. He was the biggest, strongest animal in the whole forest. His golden mane was thick and warm, and his amber eyes were bright and proud. All the animals knew him. He was the king of the forest.

Every afternoon, when the sun was warm and the breeze was gentle, the lion would find his favorite spot under a great old oak tree. He would stretch out his big strong paws, lay his heavy head down, and close his amber eyes. This was his napping place. And oh, how the lion loved his naps.

Not far away, in a tiny hole beneath the roots of a tree, lived a little brown mouse. She was the smallest animal in the whole forest. She had round dark eyes, small pink ears, and a long thin tail. She was very small. But she had a very big heart.

Every day the little mouse would come out of her tiny home and explore the forest floor. She would scurry through the fallen leaves, searching for seeds and berries. She would hop over little pebbles and squeeze under big mushrooms. The forest was so big, and she was so small. But she was never afraid.

One warm afternoon the lion lay sleeping under his favorite oak tree. His great golden chest rose and fell with each slow deep breath. His tail twitched in his dreams. A butterfly landed on his ear, but he did not wake up. He was fast, fast asleep.

The little mouse was out on one of her adventures. She was so busy looking for seeds that she did not look where she was going. She scurried through the tall grass, over a mossy log, and around a big smooth stone. She had no idea what was right in front of her.

And then it happened. The little mouse ran right across the lion's big nose! Her tiny paws tickled his whiskers. The lion's nose twitched. His eyes flew open. And the little mouse froze.

The great lion let out a rumbling growl. His amber eyes looked down at the tiny creature on his nose. Who had dared to wake him from his nap? He was the king of the forest! No one disturbed the lion's sleep. No one.

Before the mouse could move, the lion lifted his great big paw and placed it right on top of her. The little mouse was trapped. She could feel the lion's heavy paw pressing down on her tiny body. She looked up at the lion's enormous face above her. She was very, very scared.

Please!' squeaked the tiny mouse in her smallest voice. 'Please, great lion, do not eat me! I am so sorry I woke you up. I did not mean to! I was just looking for seeds and I did not see you. Please let me go!

The little mouse took a deep breath and said something very brave. 'If you let me go, great lion, I promise I will help you one day. I know I am small. But I will find a way. I promise with all my heart.' Her voice was shaking, but her eyes were steady.

The great lion stared at the tiny mouse. And then he began to laugh. A big, deep, rumbling laugh that shook the leaves in the trees above. 'You? Help me?' he chuckled. 'You are the tiniest thing in the whole forest! How could you ever help the king of the forest?

But the lion looked down at the little mouse again. She was so tiny. So scared. And yet so brave. Something warm stirred in the lion's big heart. He was the strongest animal in the forest. Surely the strongest could also be the kindest.

Slowly and gently, the lion lifted his great big paw. 'Go, little mouse,' he said in his deep warm voice. 'Go home to your family. I will not hurt you.' The little mouse could not believe it. She was free!

Thank you! Thank you, great lion!' squeaked the mouse as she scrambled to her feet. 'I will never forget this. And I will keep my promise!' She ran as fast as her little legs could carry her, looking back over her shoulder with a grateful smile. The lion watched her go and shook his great mane.

Many days went by in the great green forest. The sun rose and set. The leaves changed from bright green to golden yellow. Rain fell softly. The animals went about their lives. The lion napped under his tree. And the little mouse gathered her seeds. Life in the forest was peaceful.

But one morning something was different. Strange sounds echoed through the trees. Heavy footsteps. Rough voices. Hunters had come into the forest. They carried thick ropes and strong nets. The animals hid in their homes and trembled.

The great lion was walking through the forest, not knowing about the danger. He walked along his favorite path, past the old stone, past the berry bushes. And then — his paw stepped on something. Before he could move, a great heavy net flew up around him!

The thick ropes wrapped around the lion's body. They tangled in his great golden mane. They twisted around his strong legs. The more he pulled, the tighter the net became. He was completely trapped. The king of the forest could not move.

The lion threw back his head and roared. It was the loudest roar the forest had ever heard. The ground shook. The birds flew out of the trees. The leaves trembled. 'HELP!' roared the lion. 'Someone please help me!' But the other animals were too scared to come out.

Far away, in her tiny home beneath the tree roots, the little mouse heard the roar. Her round ears perked up. She knew that voice. That was the lion! The lion who had been kind to her. The lion who had set her free. He was in trouble!

The little mouse did not hesitate. She burst out of her tiny home and ran through the forest as fast as she could. She leaped over roots. She squeezed under fallen logs. She ran and ran and ran. Her little heart was pounding. 'Hold on!' she squeaked. 'I am coming!

The little mouse found the lion tangled in the great net. He looked so different from before. He was not proud and strong now. He was tired and scared. 'Oh, lion!' squeaked the mouse. 'What have they done to you?' The lion looked down at the tiny mouse with sad eyes.

Do not worry, great lion,' said the mouse. 'I made you a promise, and I am going to keep it.' She climbed up onto the net and found the thickest rope. She opened her tiny mouth, showing her sharp little teeth. And she began to chew. Nibble, nibble, nibble.

The little mouse chewed and chewed. One rope broke. Then another. Her tiny jaw was getting tired, but she did not stop. She moved to the next rope and the next. Strand by strand, the net began to loosen. The lion felt the ropes getting weaker. Hope flickered in his amber eyes.

With one last nibble, the final rope snapped! The great net fell away from the lion's body. He stood up slowly and shook his magnificent golden mane. He stretched his strong legs. He was free! The little mouse had done it. She had kept her promise.

The great lion looked down at the tiny mouse. His amber eyes were full of wonder. 'You saved me,' he said softly. 'You really saved me. I laughed when you said you would help me. But you were braver than any animal in this forest. Thank you, little mouse. Thank you with all my heart.

From that day on, the lion and the mouse were the very best of friends. The biggest animal and the smallest animal in the whole forest. The mouse would ride on the lion's shoulder through the woods. And the lion would curl up around the mouse to keep her warm at night. They were different in every way. But they loved each other just the same.

And so the little mouse taught the whole forest a very important lesson. It does not matter how small you are. What matters is how big your heart is. Even the tiniest friend can make the biggest difference. The End.