2.2 Panchtantra - The Elephants and The King of Mice

Once there was a prosperous village. Its people were rich and happy. But one day, there was a terrible earthquake. Many villagers died and the entire village was ruined. The survivors left the village to settle elsewhere.

Soon the ruins came to be occupied by rats. They grew very fast in number.

Near the village there was a lake. A herd of elephants often visited the lake to bathe and drink water.

But the herd way to the lake was through the village. So every time the elephant crossed the village, a large number of rats were mercilessly killed due to trampling. Grieved by fear and loss, the rats approached their king and pleaded him to find a way out.

The king decided to approach the elephants.

Next noon, when the elephants were approaching the village, the king rat went to them and said, 'O mighty elephants! We rats live in ruins of village. Everyday some of us die when your herd passing the village. I request you to change your route. If you do so, we rats shall return your favor in time of need'.

The king of elephants replied, 'We elephants are mighty animals and would not require favor from small rats. I understand the trouble caused to your community and therefore I would honor your request to change the route to the lake'.

The king of mice thanked the king of the elephants. Thereafter the elephants never took the village route to the lake.

One day, a group of hunter came poaching. They set large traps in the way of the elephants. The king of elephants and many other elephants were entrapped. They struggled but it did not help.

The king of elephants remembered the promise given by the king of mice. He called an elephant that was outside the trap and asked him to approach the king of mice for help.

When the king of mice came know about the trap, he called all the mice and told them about the situation. 'It is time for us to return the favor to the elephants', the king of mice said. So they all immediately left to rescue the trapped elephants.

The mice worked together and nibbled the net. The elephants were set free.

The king of elephants thanked the mice and they became friends thereafter.

Moral: Never judge anything by its size.