Lesson 19 Reading: The Lion and the Mouse

The Lion and the Mouse

For use after Lesson 19.

Sight Words to Know

once, the, onto, who

as, his, was

don’t

you

good

know

said

are

could, would

Sight or Common Words Child Should Be Becoming Familiar With

maybe

Words above Instructional Level (From Context, Parent)

Point out what a child knows about the word; briefly explain rules he doesn’t know yet.

mouse, about

great, friend

gnaw

lion, open, away (2 syllables, but otherwise mastered)

tiny, hunter

            Once a great lion lay at rest on the plains. As he slept, a tiny mouse crawled up onto him. The lion woke up with a big yawn. Then he saw the mouse and scooped him up in his paw. He held him by the tail, about to eat him. The mouse squeaked and squawked.

            “No!” cried the mouse, as he opened his huge jaw. “Please don’t kill me! If you let me go, I will be a good friend to you. Who knows? Maybe I will save your life one day.”

            “Ha!” said the lion. “You are too tiny to save my life. But I will let you go.” He opened up his claws and the mouse ran away as fast as he could.

            Just a few days later the lion stepped into a hunter’s trap. A net fell over him, and try as he might he could not get loose. He lay down, knowing he would soon die.

            But soon the tiny mouse ran up. “My friend!” he said. “I will save you.” And the mouse gnawed at the net until the ropes broke and the lion was free.