14. In Aesop's fable "The Lion and the Mouse", how does the mouse reward the lion for sparing its life?
From Quiz Mouse in the House!
Answer:
Chews through the ropes of its net
Aesop's Fables were thought to have been compiled in Ancient Greece some time between 620 and 560 BC, by a slave named, what else, Aesop. "The Lion and the Mouse", one of these tales, centres around the story of how a mouse accidentally wakes a sleeping lion one day. The lion, apparently a distant ancestor of mine, is enraged by having its sleep interrupted, and traps the small creature, with the intent of killing it. The wily mouse, however, points out to the grumpy lion that he wouldn't be worth killing. The lion, quite possibly having had a cup of tea or coffee in the meantime, good-humouredly agrees and lets the mouse go.
Some time later, the mouse finds the lion trapped in a large net set there by hunters. This is obviously a metaphor for our large electricity bills in this country. The honourable little rodent, remembering how the lion spared its life, accordingly chews through the ropes of the net and sets the lion free. Another metaphor, one that represents the fulfillment of my daydream that I will one day win the Lotto.