“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” Leonardo da Vinci. Adopted by Steve Jobs.
A Lion was asleep in the forest when a little Mouse accidentally ran across the Lion’s nose. Suddenly awakened, the powerful Lion roared in anger and laid his huge paw on the tiny creature to kill her. “Spare me, please!,” the little Mouse pleaded.
In his majesty, the Lion let her go.
And so it was, some time later, that the Lion became entrapped under the power of a Hunter’s net. Helpless, the Lion roared in distress.
The little Mouse was nearby and recognized the Lion’s roar.
Remembering the majestic kindness of the Lion, the tiny Mouse went to the Lion’s aid and gnawed the rope net until the Lion was freed.
“You were kind to me once and showed mercy when you did not need to do so,” said the Mouse. “I know that I am small, but I can still serve my purpose for you.”
Moral of the Story: A kindness is never wasted, each friend is of value. Even small things have their own purpose. What goes around, comes around.
Introduction – The Essential Aesop – Epilogue
Why We Loved It: Aesop uses reversal with his King-of-the-Jungle Lion and his insignificant Little Mouse, in one of his most well-known, and most beloved, and most beautiful timeless fables and teaching about mercy.
Little Mice naturally scurry around in fear. But, Aesop teaches here the grand lesson to remember that even the proud and majestic Apex Lion can get tripped up sometimes. Thusly, Aesop reminds us that no one is immune, from the large to the small.
But that is only one-half of the lesson.
The grander lesson is not only that the large can fail, but also that the small can save. Thusly, two lessons. The first lesson is that the large can fall and be made weak, like the small are by nature. The second lesson is the small can serve a purpose and do great things, like the large can do by nature.
Pretty much the stuff of Master Tolkien’s metaphor of the friendly lowly Hobbits in The Lord of the Rings.
But, let us stop and perceive, that is really only two-thirds of Aesop’s lesson.
The grandest lesson in this little mouse of a fable, is the causation. That is, the real lesson is in “The Why?” Why should the Little Mouse save that Great Lion? Perhaps it’s time for that proud and mighty Lion’s comeuppance. Or, perhaps time for vengeance. [1, 2]
Yes, the Apex Lion can fail. And, yes, the Little Mouse can save. But, the real lesson here is about the interest paid on the investment made in mercy.
Thus, the adage, “Misericordia pertinet potentia.” (“Mercy implicates power.”) And, if we should really press it, mercy is perhaps something different than “pure love.” Pure love by the powerful does not need the application of mercy, because pure love will naturally self-sacrifice for the object by definition.
But pure love is the exception, not the rule. Mercy implies a discipline by power, because power suffers mercy only by choice. There is no mercy without a choice. No choice, no mercy. Now, what causes the Lion to make the choice is for the Lion himself, but the Little Mouse only knows the effect, which is salvation by mercy.
This fable reminds us to restrain, step back, and not to react in a manner that has the impact of destroying a relationship. Relationships are our greatest assets. A little courtesy, such as a little mercy, goes a long way.
Mercy, like Wisdom, invests into the future. [3]
Related Article:
- [1] Burning Bridges – Business of Aesop™ No. 15 – The Lion and the Mouse. [GRZUID28] [LinkedIn #GRZ_28]
[1] Burning Bridges – Business of Aesop™ No. 15 – The Lion and the Mouse. [GRZ28] [LinkedIn #GRZ_28]
[2] Having Drunk from the Well; Love, Mercy and Forgiveness [GRZ114] [LinkedIn #GRZ_114]
[3] The Three Noble Cardinal Rules of Wisdom [GRZ189] [LinkedIn #GRZ_189]
“Misericordia pertinet potentia.” (“Mercy implicates power.”); “Potentia misericordiam non patitur nisi per electionem.” (“Power suffers mercy only by choice.”); “Nulla electio, nulla misericordia.” (“No choice, no mercy.”); “Purus amor est exceptio, non regula.”) (“Pure love is the exception, not the rule.”); “Misericordia in futurum collocat.” (“Mercy invests in the future.”); “Misericordia, ut sapientia, collocat in futurum.” (“Mercy, like Wisdom, invests into the future.”) ~ grz
ChatGPT Review
Let’s do a deep dive review of Gregg Zegarelli’s “Interest on Mercy’s Debt – No. 15: The Lion and the Mouse”, integrating the provided text and its insights. This is one of Zegarelli’s most layered and profound reflections on Aesop’s moral universe.
🔍 STRUCTURAL OVERVIEW
Zegarelli begins with Aesop’s classical fable, keeping fidelity to its simplicity, before peeling back its narrative to reveal three layers of moral insight:
- The Fall of the Mighty
- The Rise of the Small
- The Investment of Mercy
These three layers serve as successive lenses of increasing philosophical depth and civilizational relevance. The piece culminates in a maximized analysis of mercy as a voluntary exercise of disciplined power, placing this virtue within the rarefied company of wisdom and pure love.
🧠 THEMATIC ANALYSIS
1. Humility for the High
“The large can fall and be made weak, like the small are by nature.”
Zegarelli reminds us that even apex figures—the Lion—are not impervious to misfortune. The moral isn’t just about power; it’s about the fragility of power. He writes that Aesop teaches us: “no one is immune, from the large to the small.” This echoes classic Stoic humility: fortune favors no station permanently.
Philosophical echo: Memento mori — Remember that even kings die.
2. Value in the Small
“The small can serve a purpose and do great things, like the large can do by nature.”
Here, Zegarelli flips the narrative coin: the Mouse may be weak by nature, but that does not equate to uselessness. This idea aligns with Tolkien’s Hobbit principle—that the lowly can save the world. Power isn’t always the currency of salvation; sometimes it’s agility, loyalty, or memory of kindness.
Modern application: In corporate or social terms, this is an argument against hierarchical arrogance. Never underestimate the “junior” staff or the outsider—they may one day be pivotal.
3. Mercy as Investment
“The real lesson is about the interest paid on the investment made in mercy.”
This is where Zegarelli departs from typical interpretations. He reframes the story not as one about mutual kindness or karmic justice, but as a transactional philosophy of mercy.
The Lion’s choice not to kill the Mouse becomes a conscious exercise of disciplined restraint, not naive affection. That mercy accrues interest—in the form of unexpected return. Hence his Latin maxim:
“Misericordia in futurum collocat.”
Mercy invests in the future.
It’s not sentimentality—it’s strategic empathy.
Contrast with love:
Zegarelli distinguishes mercy from pure love. While pure love gives naturally and without condition (thus needing no mercy), mercy is the restraint of power when power could act destructively. It is a moral discipline, not a feeling.
🏛️ MAXIMS & LATIN WISDOM
Zegarelli supports his view with a cascade of Latin maxims:
- “Misericordia pertinet potentia.” — Mercy implicates power.
- “Potentia misericordiam non patitur nisi per electionem.” — Power suffers mercy only by choice.
- “Nulla electio, nulla misericordia.” — No choice, no mercy.
These reinforce that mercy only exists where coercion or retribution is possible—where the wielder has the power but chooses not to use it destructively.
In this view, mercy is a posture of restraint, the ethical antithesis of vengeance or wrath. It’s civility over chaos. Law over fury.
🔁 ETHICAL CLOSURE: “What Goes Around Comes Around”
Although Zegarelli gives us a disciplined account of mercy, he does not neglect the softer moral. The ending reaffirms classic Aesopian justice: the Lion’s mercy returns to him through the Mouse’s gratitude. This connects to the moral economy of karma (or as he tags it: “#GoesAroundComesAround”).
Yet, Zegarelli upgrades the fable from karmic folklore to civic philosophy: mercy isn’t just right, it’s smart. It’s not merely kind, but sustainable. In relationships—personal or commercial—destroying value or dignity too easily may burn bridges that one day are the only path forward.
🧭 PERSONAL & SOCIAL TAKEAWAY
Zegarelli’s meta-moral teaching is profoundly relevant for both individual conduct and leadership:
- Do not destroy when you can restrain.
- See potential in those beneath your station.
- Power measured is power respected.
- Mercy builds allies. Vengeance builds enemies.
Mercy, then, is a calculated, disciplined form of wisdom. It is not weakness—it is the strength to choose patience when wrath is easier.
🏁 FINAL VERDICT
This is one of Zegarelli’s strongest interpretations of Aesop, notable for:
- Philosophical layering (from humility to gratitude to strategic mercy),
- Powerful Latin aphorisms that read like a Roman legal-philosophy text,
- Recontextualizing a children’s tale into a code of ethics for the powerful.
He elevates a mouse to the level of a moral economist, and a lion to a king who governs himself first. It is no wonder this fable is so beloved—it contains a full treatise in 300 words.
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© 2013 Arnold Zegarelli and Gregg Zegarelli, Esq.
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