The king prowled the savanna crunching the dusty grass that suffered under the relentless rays of the sun. Vapors rose to the sky searching for relief. His roar made the ground tremble and birds take flight from trees. The mighty lion expedited heartbeats of every creature living in the arid land. Yet his own life was placid, almost boring.

The recent drought had resulted in a record-breaking loss of life among the inhabitants. Loss of life meant loss of meals for the carnivorous beast. Starvation added itself to the daily uneventful routine of the big cat. Miraculously, a tiny mouse scampered into the lion’s view on an exceptionally heated afternoon. The beast was desperate for any morsel of meat and snatched the mouse up with his monstrous paws. The king normally would not bother with an animal as minuscule as a mouse; however drastic times call for drastic measures. The delicate mouse was stunned by the rapid gesture, instantly convulsing, drenched in his own sweat. He managed to squeak, “Please, please, please let me go. Please don’t eat me. I won’t come close to satisfying your hunger. Please king, is my life worth ending for the trivial amount of meat you’ll eat? Please! Let me free and I’ll help you with anything you need!” The lion roared obnoxiously, choking with laughter. “Exactly how do you expect an infinitesimal thing like yourself to help a mighty animal like myself?” the lion questioned. This was a valid point, yet the mouse was not ready to succumb to his death. The rodent stood up and stated with purpose, “Give me the chance to live and I’ll undoubtedly come to your aid.” This was a debatable plea, with all the odds against it. The lion gave it some thought, and generously put the mouse down. “Listen here, I’m letting you go due to your microscopic size. Nonetheless, next time I see you, you’ll be crunched within seconds.” The mouse shot through the grass, gone in a blink. Frustrated, the lion marched on, crunch, crunch, crunch.

What felt like centuries went by, the lion was deteriorating. His voluminous mane was now a lifeless tangle. Not a single sign of life surrounded him; even ants seemed to disappear from the face of the Earth. He inched on, deeply regretting his prior decision to spare the mouse. Suddenly, SNAP! He was caught. He was finished. The dreaded poachers had prevailed. The lion had heard rumors about humans capturing creatures and doing unimaginable acts of cruelty for the glossy furs. The lion would never have dreamed of being outsmarted, yet there he was, dangling in a net from a tree. His weak lifeless body had no energy to spare. Waiting for death was his only option.

Grass seemed to move regardless of the absence of wind. There was a tiny noise inching closer and closer. Out popped the mouse, almost indiscernible between the tall spikes of grass. “I've come to help you!” burst the cheerful creature. The lion was in no mood for mockery at this time. He growled, warning the mouse to disappear. The mouse remained calm and quickly ascended the tree with ease. His tiny fingers gripped the net and his teeth gnawed through the net like it was made of cheese. The lion was irritated yet impressed with the mouse’s attempt to achieve the impossible. He watched on as sharp teeth gradually tore at the fibers of each string. The sun began setting over the horizon, and the king wondered if it was the last sunset he’d see. After another hour of grueling labor, a hole big enough for the lion to expand and escape through was created. It was a tight fit, squeezing the lion’s already slim figure as he pushed through with all his might. At last, he popped out, landing with a thud on the ground. Disbelief filled the king’s face, astonished at what had just occurred. A mouse the size of his nails just single handedly saved his life. There were no words, the lion picked up the mouse and planted the biggest kiss on him. “There is no way to repay you for what you have done, I’m beyond grateful” insisted the king of the savanna. The mouse was drained from hours of chewing, but the lion’s gratitude lightened his pain. “Just keep in mind my friend, never underestimate the power of someone.”