The White Mice

NEW YORK :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 1912
Copyright, 1909, by

“What does anything matter, when I know—that the end is near!”

Once upon a time a lion dropped his paw upon a mouse.
“Please let me live!” begged the mouse, “and some day I will do as much for you.”
“That is so funny,” roared the king of beasts, “that we will release you. We had no idea mice had a sense of humor.”
And then, as you remember, the lion was caught in the net of the hunter, and struggled, and fought, and struck blindly, until his spirit and strength were broken, and he lay helpless and dying.
And the mouse, happening to pass that way, gnawed and nibbled at the net, and gave the lion his life.
The morals are: that an appreciation of humor is a precious thing; that God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform, and that you never can tell.
In regard to this fable it is urged that, according to the doctrine of chances, it is extremely unlikely that at the very moment the lion lay bound and helpless the very same mouse should pass by. But the explanation is very simple and bromidic.