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A very queenly lioness meets first a mosquito and then a mouse. Both these tiny creatures teach her something about respect for small things. This is story is based on two of Aesop’s famous fables and we’ve rolled them into one. As with all our Aesop tales, it is told in the voice of one of the characters, in this case, the lioness.
Read by Natasha. Adaptation by Bertie. Duration 6.59. Sponsored by Audible.
Respect. I expect nothing less.
All respect the queen of the African planes. If the zebara or the antelope catch sight of me crouching in the bush, they do not forget to gallop. The elephant and the rhino respect me, and they mind not to tread on my children with their big clumsy feet. Even the snappy crocodile stays clear of me, when I come down to drink at the water.
Yes, respect is good.
And that is why I was so angry when a pesky little fellow failed to show me respect.
Buzzzzzzzzzz !
The mosquito buzzed around my ears and even stung me on the nose. I snapped at the horrid little traitor, and I bit my tongue. Oh, how that hurt ! Then I struck at him with my paw, such a blow that would fell a buffalo, but he slipped through my claws and was laughing at me. The he bit me on the bottom ! The cheek of it !
“Oh great queen”, said the Mosquito. “Bow your head before your master, I the Mosquito, have drunk your blood and defeated you in combat.”
I roared an almighty roar that sent the wildebeest and the giraffe scattering across the savanna.
“Ha ha ha, ” laughed the mosquito. And he flew backwards into a spider’s web. And the spider showed respect to his queen by eating the wretched insect.
A little while after this, I was lying asleep under a tree when I felt something tickling my nose.
I opened one eye and saw that a mouse had scampered onto my face!
“How dare you ! ” I roared. And was about to swipe him a deadly blow with my paw when the mouse begged:
“Oh mighty queen, forgive me! I was running through the long grass, and did not mean to run onto your nose or to disturb your sleep .”
And I laughed at this furry creature and said.
“Little fellow. I was about to kill you but you have shown wisdom and respect for your queen. I pardon your sin.”
“Oh, thank you thank you,” said the mouse. “I only hope that One day I may be of service to your majesty. ”
And I laughed again, for how could a little mouse help a mighty queen?
The weeks went by, and I was out for a midnight stroll when all of a sudden, there was no ground beneath my paws.
Thump. I fell to the bottom a pit I tried to spring out, but I was tangled in a net. The more my limbs struggled, the more I became entangled.
A hyena came by and saw me in this sorry trap. He cackled with his ugly voice and taunted me;
“In the morning the men shall come and throw their spears into your side. And then we shall have to find a new queen.”
I snarled with fury and swore to tear him apart when I was free from the snare. But he just laughed his silly laugh.
Towards morning, I had almost given up hope when I heard a little voice.
“My queen,” it said. “At last I may be of service to you.”
I saw the pink nose of the mouse.
“My loyal subject. It does my proud heart good to hear your well meaning words. But I am afraid you must now pay your last respects to your queen, for my limbs are caught in this net, and very soon the sun will rise and the men shall come to kill me.”
“You underestimate the might of a mouse,” said my loyal subject. And he called his wife and children, and together they gnawed through the net. I was free within the hour, just in time to spring out of the pit and give the men who had come to kill me a nasty surprise.
And so that is the story of how I, the queen of the jungle, came to respect those who respect me, no matter how small they might be, because sometimes the smallest of those among us, have the advantage over the mighty and the strong.
34 Comments
LOL !! i get the first comment!!!!!!
good story
im first im first ya me the story is really good goooooooooo new storys
good..
You gotta have respect!!!!
Hi people. You can’t always tell if you are the first to comment, because other people’s comments only appear after i’ve approved them, and sometimes I’m away or asleep. But thanks for your enthusiasm !
i liked this story. VERY NICE moral.
thanks,
Red aju
Thank you Natasha All i can say is WOW .great job and keep up the good work and I am look forward to whatever is next,many thanks.
Great moral! I like the story very much!!!
Thanks Michelle. We enjoyed doing thing one .
good story. .
nice job. .
i’d like to tell this story to my cousins, neighbors and friends..
moral: respect.
thanks for this!!!
thx
Thank you for a great story.
goooood one
A very, very, very, good story.
I think the mouse was very brave to do those things.
And that every one shood have a little respect!
GOOD STORY ABOUT RESPECT.
it’s a very good story
simple but nice
it s a very nice story ,it has attracted me the first time i read it . i am listing to it whenever i am free
this is wonderful for my children.
i am afghan, i would like to help me to learn english.
it will be a exellent site for learning english. but i could’t download the audio one.
pleas help me later.
with regards,
shirzai
Thank you. Your work helps somebody as me that whant learn english. A lots of thanks.
This is a wonderful story. It’s kind of amazing how little things can be a big help.
:)
octavio
I’m doing this to root up my english skills too!
Bertie, when my sisters heard this they wanted to hear it again and again, until finally, I let Natasha do the talking. Great voice Natasha and great job Bertie.
Hi Natasha,
This story is old but your voice made it look new.
Thanks,
Ali
Hello
I like all your storys aspeshely the bad giant i have got that on my ipod,ilove this one to!
i love the funny name you’ve got
as well ’story nory’.
My names megan and
im 10 yrs old.
i hope you reply back to me soon
from megan
Yes. .thanks for this story. .I caught up the attention of my classmates to listen to my story telling yesterday. .They really like the way I emphasize the words. .thanks to you Natasha. .I really admire your voice and the way you talk. .
GBU
wut happened to the hiena did the big bad lion kill it and eat it up for breakfeats?…..loved the story but really! wut happened!
plz reply sooooooonnnnnnnnnnn
Hi Nicole, I think the hyena made himself very scarse
thats not fair i think that u should include wut happend cuz its not fair for the outher kids (lik me) who actually want to fnd out wut happpened
lik i said love the story but wut happened! quit being stingey!!!!!!!! 
luv u tho! u roc doode
answer meeee! wut happened!
Nikki, Thanks for the reminders. Sorry we haven’t go round to reading the Pit and the Pendulum yet. Some Edgar Allan Poe can be a bit gruesome, so we’ll let you know when we’ve read it. Thanks for the suggestion !
either king or queen need help.with out love and help betwin all people we can not survive.long live to morocco
i loved dis story lolz
I love.