Read the following text to answer the question!

The lion was having a nap a little mouse woke him up. The lion was annoyed, so he picked up the little mouse and threatened to eat him up. "Please space my life. Oh, King of the jungle. If you do, I will do something for you one day!" begged the mouse. "What! A little thing like you? Ha...ha...this is really funny," laughed the lion. Then he got the little mouse free because he thought that the little creature did not even taste good. Several days later when the lion was walking in the jungle, he got into a trap. He struggles hard, but he still could not free himself. When he was about to give up, the little mouse came to gnaw at the ropes of the net and he said, "Didn't you once laugh at me for being little? Look how I have saved your life today"

" ____ but he still could not free himself. Free is means ____.