More than anything else in the world, Lion liked being King of the jungle. He walked all around, showing off his power and pride.

    Each day Lion took a long, lazy sleep under the shade of his favourite tree. He always dreamed of weaker animals bowing(鞠躬) before him.

    One day Mouse ran through the jungle and tripped(绊倒) over Lion's huge paws. Lion woke up with a start. "How dare you wake me up!" he shouted angrily. Lion grabbed Mouse with one paw. "On second thought, I'm in the mood for a snack, and you'll make a delicious meal," he said.

    Mouse cried out, "King Lion, please spare(饶恕) me! If you let me live, I will always remember your kindness. And, some day, I might be able to help you."

    "How could such a powerless little mouse ever help me?" That thought made Lion laugh so much that he decided to let Mouse go. A week later, Lion was walking through the jungle on the way to his favourite tree when he stepped onto a hunter's net. The net scooped him up. No matter how he twisted and turned, he couldn't escape.

    When Mouse heard Lion's frightened shouts, he raced to help. Mouse quickly chewed(咬)through the ropes to make a hole in the net. Soon, Lion moved out and was free. Lion looked down at the little mouse. "Thank you for saving my life," said Lion, smiling his widest smile. "I was mistaken. You are not a powerless little mouse. You are a great friend!"

Writing your own funny comic strip

a. Practise drawing and create your characters.

    In order to ensure that you're at your very best, create sketches of basic items. People, animals, backgrounds, and props are excellent subjects to begin with.

    Choose attractive names for them and dip deep into your characters. This will help you connect to them, and you'll be able to bring them to life in your comics.

b. Think of a short, amusing tale or a humorous skit featuring a joke for your comic.

    Once you establish a basic plot, write down the main story with additional details.

c. Make a rough copy of your first comic.

    Determine its structure, as well as the size of the boxes that will contain the characters and their story. Use stick figures or quick drawings to figure out the basic skeleton of your comic. Do not worry about doing your best, as this is a rough draft.

d. Create a unique name for your comic and a good copy of your comic.

    If you have trouble thinking of one, surf the Internet for suggestions or read other people's titles for inspiration.

    Once you are satisfied with the drawings, go over them with black ink for a professional look.  To colour the comic, you can scan it into the computer and digitally colour it. Otherwise, you can use special colour pencils or markers.

e. Show the comic to your family and friends and keep your comic in a safe place.

    Ask them to read it and give you a critique. This will help you to gauge how funny and successful your comic is, which will guide your future comic- making.

    Continue practising and creating new comics. You may consider publishing your works in the future.

    Hayao Miyazaki is one of Japan's  (great) animation(卡通片绘制) directors.  He was  (bear) in Tokyo on January 5, 1941. He  (start) his career in 1963 as an animator at the Toei Animation.  1971, he moved to the A-Pro studio with Isao Takahata, then to Nippon Animation in 1973, where he was (heavy) involved in the World Masterpiece Theatre TV animation series  the next five years. In 1978, he directed his first TV series,Mirai Shonen Conan, then moved Tokyo Movie Shinsha in 1979 to direct his first movie. From 1982 to 1984, he was busy  (make) animated films.

    Miyazaki's film, Howl's Moving Castle, is  (base) on the novel by Diana Wynne Jones. Even though he has said this would be the last film, one hopes that additions to his extraordinary body of work will continue to be produced as long  he remains alive.