The Lion and The Mouse English Comprehension Year 3

Contributed by:
Cambridge Online Tuition
This traditional story is about helping a friend. Can a mouse help a lion?
1. The Lion and the Mouse
One day, a lion was asleep in the
wood. A mouse came along. The mouse
didn’t see the lion and ran across the
lion’s nose.
The lion woke up. He was cross
with the mouse. “You woke me up!”
he roared.
The mouse was scared. “Please let me go!” said the mouse. “If
you let me go, I will repay you one day!”
“You are funny!” said the lion. “How could a mouse help a lion?”
The lion laughed and let the mouse go home.
Some days later, the lion was caught in a hunter’s net. He couldn’t
get out.
The lion roared in anger.
The mouse heard the lion and ran
to the net.
The mouse saw the lion and had
an idea. She chewed on the net
until it broke and the lion fell
out. The lion was free.
“Even a mouse can help a lion!” said
the mouse.
From that day, the mouse and the lion
became friends.
A kindness is never wasted.
2. The Lion and the Mouse Questions
1. Who are the characters in the story? Tick two.
a mouse
a badger
a fox
a lion
2. Why did the lion wake up? Tick one.
The mouse ran across his nose.
He was hungry.
It was morning.
3. Why was the mouse scared? Tick one.
She didn’t like lions.
She thought the lion would eat her.
The lion surprised her.
4. How did the mouse help the lion? Tick one.
She brought him some food.
She sang a song to cheer him up.
She chewed through the net to let him go.
5. What is the message in the story? Tick one.
Look where you are going.
A kindness is never wasted.
Listen to others.
3. The Lion and the Mouse Answers
1. Who are the characters in the story? Tick two.
a mouse
a badger
a fox
a lion
2. Why did the lion wake up? Tick one.
The mouse ran across his nose.
He was hungry.
It was morning.
3. Why was the mouse scared? Tick one.
She didn’t like lions.
She thought the lion would eat her.
The lion surprised her.
4. How did the mouse help the lion? Tick one.
She brought him some food.
She sang a song to cheer him up.
She chewed through the net to let him go.
5. What is the message in the story? Tick one.
Look where you are going.
A kindness is never wasted.
Listen to others.
4. The Lion and the Mouse
One day, a proud lion was asleep
in the wood, his head resting on his
paws. A timid mouse came along.
The mouse didn’t see the lion and ran
across the lion’s nose.
The lion woke up from his nap. He was cross with the mouse.
“You woke me up!” he roared and laid his paw on the mouse,
ready to gobble her up.
The mouse was scared. “Please let me go!” begged the mouse.
“If you let me go, I will repay you one day!”
“You are funny!” said the lion. “How could a mouse help a lion?”
The lion laughed at the idea that a
mouse could ever help him. But he
was generous and let the mouse go.
Some days later, the lion was caught
in a hunter’s net. Unable to get out,
the lion roared in anger. The mouse
remembered the lion’s voice and
ran quickly to the net.
The mouse saw the lion struggling in the
net and had an idea. She gnawed on the
net until it broke and the lion was able to
escape. The lion was free.
“Even a mouse can help a lion!” declared
the tiny mouse.
From that day on, the mouse and the lion
became friends forever.
A kindness is never wasted.
5. The Lion and the Mouse Questions
1. Why did the mouse run across the lion’s nose? Tick one.
She didn’t see the lion.
She wanted to surprise the lion.
She thought it would be fun.
2. Why did the lion think the mouse was funny? Tick one.
because she was dressed as a clown
because she told him a joke
because he thought a mouse could never help a lion
3. Why did the mouse run quickly to the net? Tick one.
because she was in a hurry
because she heard the lion’s voice
because she was nosy
4. Complete the sentences. One has already been done for you.
The mouse didn’t see the lion and had an idea.
The mouse saw the lion
became friends forever.
struggling in the net
The mouse and the lion and ran across his nose.
5. What is the moral of the story?
6. The Lion and the Mouse Answers
1. Why did the mouse run across the lion’s nose? Tick one.
She didn’t see the lion.
She wanted to surprise the lion.
She thought it would be fun.
2. Why did the lion think the mouse was funny? Tick one.
because she was dressed as a clown
because she told him a joke
because he thought a mouse could never help a lion
3. Why did the mouse run quickly to the net? Tick one.
because she was in a hurry
because she heard the lion’s voice
because she was nosy
4. Complete the sentences. One has already been done for you.
The mouse didn’t see the lion and had an idea.
The mouse saw the lion
became friends forever.
struggling in the net
The mouse and the lion and ran across his nose.
5. What is the moral of the story?
A kindness is never wasted.
7. The Lion and the Mouse
One day, a proud lion was asleep
in the wood, his great head resting
on his paws. A timid mouse came
upon him unexpectedly, and in her
fright and haste to get away, ran
across the lion’s nose.
Roused from his nap, the lion laid his huge paw angrily on the
tiny creature, ready to gobble her up.
“Spare me!” begged the poor mouse. “Please let me go and
someday I will surely repay you!” The lion was amused to think
that a mouse could ever help. But he was generous and finally
let the mouse go.
Some days later, whilst stalking
his prey in the forest, the lion was
caught in a hunter’s net. Unable to
free himself, he filled the forest with
his angry roaring. The mouse knew
the voice and quickly found the lion
struggling in his net.
Running to one of the great ropes that
bound him, she gnawed it until it parted
and soon, the lion was free. “You laughed
when I said I would repay you,” said the
mouse. “Now you see that even a mouse
can help a lion.”
A kindness is never wasted.
8. The Lion and the Mouse Questions
1. The first line of the story is:
‘One day, a proud lion was asleep in the wood, his great head resting
on his paws.’
Which words in this sentence are adjectives?
2. Why did the lion want to kill the mouse? Tick one.
She had woken him from his nap.
He didn’t like mice.
He wasn’t a very nice lion.
3. Why did the mouse go to help the lion?
4. At the beginning of the story, the mouse is described as timid.
In your opinion, is the mouse still timid at the end of the story?
Why do you think this?
5. The moral of the story is ‘A kindness is never wasted.’
What else can we learn from the story?
9. The Lion and the Mouse Answers
1. The first line of the story is:
‘One day, a proud lion was asleep in the wood, his great head resting
on his paws.’
Which words in this sentence are adjectives?
Proud and great are both adjectives in this sentence.
2. Why did the lion want to kill the mouse? Tick one.
She had woken him from his nap.
He didn’t like mice.
He wasn’t a very nice lion.
3. Why did the mouse go to help the lion?
Because she remembered his voice, and had promised to repay him.
4. At the beginning of the story, the mouse is described as timid.
In your opinion, is the mouse still timid at the end of the story?
Why do you think this?
Expect various answers, such as: the mouse is braver by the end
of the story because she goes to help the lion; the mouse is more
confident at the end of story.
5. The moral of the story is ‘A kindness is never wasted.’
What else can we learn from the story?
Expect various answers, such as: don’t judge people by their
appearance; even if you are little you can do a lot; good things come
in small packages; you can be friends with anyone even if they are
different to you.