A very small animal and a very large one, and a lesson about kindness. And about asking politely, which, when the other person is a lion, is extremely important.
Aesop’s Fables · Part 1 · Modal verbs: permission, requests and offers
The Lion and the Mouse
Can, could, may, would you, would you mind, shall I and can I: the grammar of asking, allowing and offering, begged by a mouse, granted by a lion, and precisely footnoted by Philo.
🐭 Play the story too: in the gamebook, you are the Mouse.Play the gamebook →
SOPHIA
DEMETRIA
This is my favourite. The small one wins.
The fable
After Aesop
A Lion was sleeping in the sun when a little Mouse ran over his nose. The Lion woke with a roar and caught the Mouse under his great paw.
“Please, King of the Beasts,” squeaked the Mouse, “may I say something? Could you let me go? I’m so small that I wouldn’t even fill your mouth. And perhaps one day I could help you.”
The Lion laughed so much at the idea of a mouse helping a lion that he lifted his paw and let her go.
Some days later, the Lion was caught in a hunter’s net. The more he struggled, the tighter the ropes held him, and he roared with anger and fear.
The little Mouse heard him and came running. “Shall I help you?” she said. And she gnawed through the ropes, one by one, until the Lion was free.
No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted.
Can, could, may: asking for permission
MARCOS
The Mouse says “may I say something?” to a lion who is about to eat her. Isn’t that a bit too polite?
SOPHIA
Not when it’s a lion. To ask permission, we use can (friendly, informal), could (more polite) and may (the most formal and polite). Can I sit here? Could I borrow your pen? May I say something, Your Majesty?
Giving and refusing permission
PHILO
A footnote. When we answer, we don’t use could. We say: Yes, you can, or Yes, you may. And to refuse: No, you can’t, or, very formally, you may not.
SOPHIA
Quite right. Could in a question is only there to be polite. Could I go? Yes, of course you can.
Could you, would you, would you mind: requests
DEMETRIA
Then she asks: “Could you let me go?” That’s asking the Lion to do something, not asking for permission.
SOPHIA
Exactly. For requests: Can you…? Could you…? Would you…? and the most polite of all, Would you mind + -ing: Would you mind lifting your paw? Careful: the answer “No” means yes, I don’t mind.
Shall I, can I: offers
THE CLERK
Shall I bring you a lamp, Sophia? Can I carry those scrolls?
SOPHIA
Thank you. The Clerk is making offers: Shall I…? and Can I…? (or I’ll…). The Mouse makes one too, when the Lion is in the net: Shall I help you? That was the best offer of her life.
The moral
PHILO
The Lion could have eaten her. Instead, he let her go because she asked well, and he laughed. And the laugh saved his life.
Sophia’s summary
| Form | Use | From the fable |
|---|---|---|
| Can I…? / Could I…? / May I…? | asking for permission (informal → formal) | May I say something, Your Majesty? |
| Yes, you can / may. No, you can’t / may not. | giving or refusing permission | Yes, you may go. |
| Can you…? / Could you…? / Would you…? | requests | Could you let me go? |
| Would you mind + -ing? | a very polite request | Would you mind lifting your paw? |
| Shall I…? / Can I…? / I’ll… | offers | Shall I help you? |
Practice
Answer all the questions, then press “Check my answers”. You can try again as many times as you like.
A · Choose the best form
Choose the form that fits best.
1. (To a king) “___ I speak, Your Majesty?”
2. “Could I go now?” — “Yes, of course you ___.”
3. “Would you mind ___ your paw, please?”
4. “The Lion is in a net! ___ I help you?”
5. “Would you mind if I sat here?” — “___, please sit down.”
6. “___ you pass me the rope, please?”
B · Complete the sentence
Write the missing word.
7. I help you with those heavy scrolls? (an offer)
8. you let me go, please? (a polite request)
9. No, you go into the Librarian’s room. (formal refusal)
10. Would you mind the door? (close)
C · Right or wrong?
Is the sentence correct English?
11. “Could I borrow your pen?” — “Yes, you could.”
12. “Would you mind to wait a moment?”
13. “May I come in?” — “Yes, you may.”
Now be the Mouse yourself. Can you talk your way out from under a lion’s paw?Play the gamebook →