World Stories Retold for Modern Boys and Girls / One Hundred and Eighty-seven Five-minute Classic Stories for Retelling in Home, Sunday School, Children's Services, Public School Grades and "The Story-hour" in Public Libraries

by William James Sly

21. THE LION AND THE MOUSE

One day a Lion was lying fast asleep in a thick wood, when a little Mouse, playing “hide-and-seek,” ran over the Lion’s nose and awakened him. As quick as a flash the Lion caught the Mouse under his paw. “O Lion, do not eat me, please,” begged the Mouse, “I am such a little thing. I could not make you a mouthful. Let me go and some day I will do something to help you.” This made the Lion laugh, but he let the Mouse scamper off. Later on this good Lion was caught in a net and roared in distress. The Mouse heard him and ran up and said, “Now, Mr. Lion, I will do something to help you.” “How can you?” roared the Lion. Quickly the Mouse began to gnaw the net with his sharp little teeth. It took a long time, but at last the Lion was free. The Mouse laughed as he scampered away again, saying, “Little friends may help as much as great friends. I did help you after all, you see!”

22. THE LARKS IN THE WHEAT-FIELD

Once a Lark and her little ones lived together in a nest in a field of ripened wheat. The mother bird was afraid the reapers might come before the young larks could fly. So every morning when she went for food she told them to listen carefully to all they heard and tell her when she returned. On the first evening they said, “We heard the farmer tell his son to ask the neighbors to help reap the wheat.” “Oh, no danger yet,” said Mother Lark. The next evening they said, “We heard the farmer tell his son to ask his uncle and cousins to help reap the wheat.” “Oh, no danger yet!” said the mother. On the third evening they said, “To-day we heard the farmer say to his son, ‘To-morrow we will reap the wheat ourselves!’” “Then,” cried the mother, “we must fly away at once, for the wheat is sure to be cut now. When a man makes up his mind to do a thing himself, it is more likely to be done.” She took her young ones away at once, and the next day the wheat was reaped by the farmer and his son.

23. THE MILLER AND HIS DONKEY

Once an old Miller and his son were walking along a country road behind their Donkey, which they were driving to town to sell. On the way they met some girls who said, “Look! What stupid people to walk instead of riding.” Wishing to please them the old Miller put his son on the Donkey and walked along by their side. Soon they came to some men who shouted: “Look; what a lazy lout! Are you not ashamed to ride, while your poor old father walks?” Wishing to please them the Miller told his son to get down while he mounted and rode. Not long after they met some women who cried, “Look, what a shame for that selfish old father to ride while his son walks!” So the father, wishing again to please, took up his son behind him. They had not gone far when they met a man who said, “Look at that shameful sight! Why, those two strong fellows are better able to carry that poor beast than he is to carry them.” Wishing to please him the Miller and his son got down, tied the Donkey’s legs together between a long pole, shouldered the load, and began carrying the Donkey in this way along the road. When they came to the town bridge they met a crowd of people who shouted with such laughter and jeers at this funny sight of seeing them carrying a Donkey, that the frightened animal kicked himself loose, and fell over the bridge into the river and was drowned. The Miller said to his son, “By trying to please everybody we have pleased nobody and lost our Donkey.”

24. THE PERSIAN AND HIS SONS

Once there was a Persian Ruler, who lived in a great palace with his three sons. The father had a beautiful pearl which he decided to give to the son which showed himself the noblest. He called the three boys before him and asked each to tell the noblest deed he had performed in the last month. The eldest said: “Father, as I was traveling in a foreign land, a merchant trusted me with many valuable jewels, and he did not count them. I might easily have kept one or two and they would not have been missed, but I carried those jewels and delivered them all as safely as though they had been my own.” “My son,” said the father, “you were honest, and did a noble deed!”

“Father,” said the second son, “as I was walking in the country the other day, I saw a child playing by a lake, and while I watched, the child fell in and I saved the child.” “You have done your duty,” said the father, “and you too have done a noble deed.”