Poems for Class 1

The lion and the mouse

A lion was sleeping under a tree when a little mouse ran across his paw. The lion caught the mouse, but the mouse asked to be set free and promised to help one day. The lion laughed at the thought of such a small helper, yet he opened his paw. Later, hunters caught the lion in a strong net. Hearing his roar, the mouse came quickly. It nibbled through the ropes with its sharp teeth, and the lion walked free. The lion thanked the mouse and understood that size does not decide a friend's worth. Lesson: A small act of kindness can return when you need help.

Reading and talking together

Read the poem aloud once while your child listens for the main characters and action. Read it again together, pausing after each verse to explain new words such as caught, promise, net and nibbled. Ask your child what the lion expected from the mouse, why he changed his mind and how the mouse showed courage. Take turns reading the lion's and mouse's parts with different voices. Older children can find rhyming words, mark the lines that show a change in the story and retell the beginning, middle and end in their own words.

Activities after the poem

Invite your child to draw the lion, the mouse and the forest setting, then add one sentence below each picture. Make simple character cards and arrange them in story order. Your child can circle pairs of rhyming words, fill in missing words from the poem or write a new final verse about another kind act. Try a short role-play with a scarf as the net. At home, talk about one helpful action your child noticed or did that day. Children who enjoy writing can create a four-line poem about a small animal with a big idea.