2. The White Elephant

This is a beautiful lovable story about a magnificent white elephant.

The while elephant was very kind hearted and humble. He was the leader of herd of over eighty thousand elephants. They dwelled the dense forests at the foothills of Himalayas.

Though the white elephant occupied a powerful and respectable position in the herd, yet he was void of any arrogance. He led the herd with power and modesty.

The elephant's mother had turned very old. She could not see and had become dependent on his son. So the elephant went feel into the forest in search of food for his loving mother. He would roam and find the best wild fruit for his mother. He sent the fruit to his mother via his trusted messengers. But the messengers were not worthy of trust. They heartlessly ate the fruits themselves. When the elephant returned home, his mother grieved in hunger and negligence.

One day, the white elephant followed the messengers after they left with the fruits for his mother. He saw them resting midway and eating the fruits. The white elephant was heart broken. He gave a cry of anguish. He was filled with guilt that his old mother starved due to the selfish behavior of his herd. That night after he returned home, he called all members of the herd and announced, "I am abandoning this herd forever. Tomorrow I shall leave this place with my mother". The herd understood the reason for white elephant's anger, but no one dare say anything.  

In the middle of night, the white elephant started his journey to Mount Zenith with his mother. The mountain was peaceful and bounty of beauty. There was a beautiful lake covered with lotus blossoms. It had many great trees which bore delicious fruits. Finding food was not difficult here. The elephant started living with his mother peacefully there.

One afternoon when the elephant was resting he was woken up by a large cry of a human. He went ahead and saw a forester who had lost his way. He was terrified and anxious in the big forest. When the forester saw the elephant, he was all the more terrified and ran fast as he could.

The elephant followed the forester, asking him not to be afraid of him. He told the forester that he could help him. The forester was pacified and stopped. The elephant friendly asked him about his problem. The forester said, "I lost have my way. For past seven days, I have been roaming in this forest alone. There seems to be no way out!" Saying this, the forester cried.

The white elephant was kind and understanding. He brought fruits for the forester and pacified him. Then he assured the forester a way out. He carried him on his back and took him to the edges of the forest. The forester was gratified. He went back to his town happily.

Days passed by. One day a friend came to meet the forester. He told him about the King Brahmadutta's state elephant who died few days ago. Now the king was looking for a suitable elephant for his rides. The forester was very thrilled to know this. He decided to approach the king and inform him about the beautiful white elephant who lived on the Mount Zenith.

The forester informed the king about the elephant. He recalled having left marks across the way through which the elephant carried the forester. He suggested that he would require help of special elephant trainer to trap the wonderful elephant to serve the king.

The King was impressed by the forester's narration of the elephant. He asked a team of elephant experts, soldiers and the forester to immediately leave for the forest for finding the elephant. The group traveled for some days, before they reached the lake near the cave where the elephant lived with his mother.

It was noon time. The white elephant was collecting lotus roots for his mother. He sensed human presence around. He peeped through the bushes and saw a large number of men led by the forester. The elephant felt deceived by the forester's ingratitude. He went and gave the lotus roots to his mother.

Soon the men attacked him. The white elephant was too kind to struggle against the men and kill them. Therefore he humbly went with them to the city. The elephant thought he would request the king to release him as he needs yo take care of his blind mother who was alone in the forest.

On the other hand, when the elephant's mother woke up and cried out for her son, she got no reply. She was ascertain about his whereabouts and wept profusely. She suspected that the king's men took his son and prayed for his well being and safety. The blind mother elephant wept whole night through.

The king asked his men to arrange for a grand reception for the arrival of the new state elephant. The entire city was decorated with flowers. The sound of drumbeats filled the air. The people watched in pride and honor their new state elephant.

The elephant experts too were thrilled about the elephant. They arranged for a lavish feast for him, but the elephant was too sad and heart broken. He refused to touch a morsel. He showed no excitement towards the grand food, fragrant flowers nor the comfortable stable. He sat aloof appearing completely despondent and withdrawn.

Seeing the white elephant's unusual behaviour, the elephant experts were worried. They decided to approach the king.

When the king heard that the white elephant had been sitting withdrawn and refusing food and water, he decided to see the elephant himself.

The king was very friendly and polite. He asked the elephant, "Why are you grieving? Why do you refuse to take this lavish food, and even water! You should be proud that you are now the state elephant of City of Beneras and will get the chance to serve the king himself".

As the king spoke, tears rolled down the eyes of white elephant. Seeing this the king was touched. He lovingly patted the animal and said, "Say, what is troubling you".

The white elephant sobbed and said, " O mighty King! I have an old mother who is blind. She depends on me for her food. There is no one to take care of her. She is alone and must be starved. Your men took me, while she was asleep. She must be worried and hungry. I want to resist in saying, but I am afraid that she won't be able to survive without me".

The king was too touched to hear the elephant's plea. He immediately asked his men to release the elephant so that he could return to the forest and take care of his mother.

The white elephant thanked the king and ran as fast as he could. He returned to the Mount Zenith where his mother sat weeping. He showered water over his mother who thought it was raining. She was sacred and cried for mercy.

The white elephant now bent and lovingly stroked his mother. The old mother elephant suddenly got life. She stroked back her son and wept with her head near to her son's heart. The white elephant narrated how the compassionate King of Benaras had set him free to take cate of her. The mother elephant was elated to hear him. 

The elephant's mother kept weeping in happiness to find her son back. She gave a heart felt thanks to the king and blessed him for prosperity and peace. The king was humbled and took a vow to never cause any harm to anyone in his life.

One morning when the white elephant woke up, he found his mother out of breadth. He wept heavily in her memory and fondness. He grieved for many days and refused to eat.

Days passed by and the white elephant continued to live alone. He grew old gradually. One day he took his last breadth. The word of his dead spread around and when the king came to know about it he erected a marvelous statue of the white elephant in his honor. The locals celebrate an annual festival in remembrance of the great white elephant.