The Lion And Mouse

Once when a lion, the king of the jungle, was asleep, a little mouse began running up and down on him. This soon awakened the lion, who placed his huge paw on the mouse, and opened his big jaws to swallow him.

“Pardon, O King!” cried the little Mouse, “Forgive me this time. I shall never repeat it and I shall never forget your kindness. And who knows, I may be able to do you a good turn one of these days!”

The Lion was so tickled by the idea of the mouse The lion laughed, "You are so small! How could you ever help me?" The lion laughed so hard he had to hold his belly! The mouse jumped to freedom and ran until she was far, far away. Sometime later, a few hunters captured the lion, and tied him to a tree. After that they went in search of a wagon, to take him to the zoo.

Just then the little mouse happened to pass by. On seeing the lion’s plight, he ran up to him and gnawed away the ropes that bound him, the king of the jungle.“See?Little mouse can help the king of jungle?” said the little mouse, very happy to help the lion."I did not believe that you could be of use to me, little mouse, but today you saved my life." said the lion humbly. "It was my turn to help you, Sire." answered the mouse.

“Pardon, O King!”

“Forgive me this time. I shall never repeat it and I shall never forget your kindness. And who knows, I may be able to do you a good turn one of these days!”

"You are so small! How could you ever help me?"

“See?Little mouse can help the king of jungle?”

"I did not believe that you could be of use to me, little mouse, but today you saved my life."

Question  :

1.what the synonym of "Pardon"(Paragraf 2)?

2.what Antonym of "Captured"(Paragraf 3)?

3.what lessons can be taken in the story?

4."Sometime later, a few hunters captured the lion, and tied him to a tree." "him" referred to?

5.what the meaning of gnawed(Paragraf 4)?