Once a Mouse... - Ancient Indian Fable

India located in the middle of south Asia is a country rich in heritage with history reaching ancient times. And from such ancient times comes wisdom of this fable.

One day a solitary man sat under a tree shaded from scorching sun and thought about little and big. Suddenly a little mouse appeared as almost an answer to his thoughts.

In another moment a black crow lowered its flight ready to snatch the mouse.

The old man rushed tearing the mouse from the crow’s greedy beak.

At the hut, he fed the mouse with milk and grains.

A cat appeared greedy for milk and even a better catch of mouse. With his head and tail high above his body, he approached the hut.

The wise man standing aside, with its magic and prayers changed the mouse into a stout cat.

At night a dog barked in the forest scaring the cat.

In the morning, the wise man changed the cat into a big dog.

But not long after that, a hungry tiger appeared.

As the tiger leaped on the dog, the wise man changed the dog into a beautiful tiger.

All day long, the tiger prided himself among other animals.

The hermit seeing all that chided the beast, “Without me you still would be a little mouse, that is, if you were still alive.”

The offended tiger laid down hiding among high grass, “No one will tell me what to do.”

The wise man read the tiger’s thoughts and said, “You are ungrateful big tiger. Therefore you will go back to being a little mouse.”

And that’s what had happened. The big tiger was turned into a little mouse, which ran into the forest and was never seen again.

As for the wise man, he continued to dwell on little and big…

Source: Once a Mouse… by Marcia Brown