Alion asleep in his lair was woken up by a mouse running over his face. losing his temper he seized it with his paw and was about to kill it. the mouse, terrified, piteously entreated him to spare its life saying he could him in return someday. the idea of so insignificant a creature ever being able to do anything for him amused the lion so much that he laughed aloud, and good-humoredly let it go. but the mouse's chance came, after all. one day the lion got entangled in a net which had been spread for game by some hunters, and the mouse heard and recognized his roars of anger and ran to the spot. without more ado it set to work to gnaw the ropes with its teeth, and succeeded before long in setting the lion free.

which of the following most closely reflects the theme of the passage?