Once upon a time, in a village far, far away, there was an old, empty place where nobody lived anymore. The houses were all broken, the streets were quiet, and the shops were closed. It was so old that even the windows and stairs were all broken!
But do you know who loved this old village? Mice! Yes, little mice had been living there for a very, very long time. They didn’t mind that the village was empty. In fact, they loved it because they could run around and play without anyone bothering them.
The mice made their homes in the old houses and buildings. They had cozy nests where they could sleep and play. And you know what else they did? They had parties! They would gather together and have big feasts with yummy food. They danced and laughed all day long. Oh, how much fun they had!
But one day, something unexpected happened. A huge group of elephants came marching through the village. Can you imagine that? Elephants in a tiny old village! They were on their way to a big lake to the west.
The mice watched in surprise as the elephants stomped through their village. They had never seen such big animals before! The elephants were so big that they didn’t even notice the little mice scurrying around.
But do you know what the mice thought? They thought, “Oh no! If these big elephants come back this way, they will squash our village flat!” They knew they had to do something to stop them.
A brave group of mice followed the elephant tracks all the way to the lake. There, they found the king of the elephants. Bowing before the king, one mouse, representing the rest, spoke, “O King, greetings! The population of our mice is not far from here. It is in the same old, deserted village from which you have come. Do you remember it?”
“I remember,” said the elephant king. “We are the elephants. We didn’t know that the population of mice was there. Oh! You didn’t know?” said the mouse mockingly. “Your herd has destroyed many houses where we have been living for centuries. If you return in the same way, surely we will be annihilated. Hear us out! Can’t you choose another path for your return? Who knows, someday, even the mice might be able to help you.”
The elephant king smiled to himself. “Listen! How can these little mice help the elephants?” But he regretted that his herd had inadvertently crushed the mice’s village. He said, “Alright. You don’t need to worry. I will take the herd back through a different route. In the meantime, the neighboring king ordered his hunters to catch as many elephants as they could.”
Oh no! After the elephants had a nice swim in the lake, some mean hunters put big nets in the water to catch them! When the elephants jumped into the lake, they got all tangled up in the nets. It was like they were stuck in a spider’s web!
Two days later, the hunters came back and pulled the elephants out of the water with big ropes. They tied them to strong trees in the jungle. The poor elephants couldn’t move! They needed help, and fast!
When the hunters left, the elephant king put on his thinking cap. He knew he had to help his pals! Fortunately, one elephant hadn’t swum in the lake, so he was free. The king asked him to dash to the old village and fetch the mice. Off he went, trumpeting along! When the mice got wind of their friends’ plight, they scurried as fast as their little legs could carry them to the lake to lend a hand.
As soon as the mice reached the lake and saw their big friends in trouble, they knew they had to help. With their tiny teeth, they gnawed at the thick ropes that held the elephants. Bit by bit, the ropes started to snap! The elephants wiggled and jiggled, and soon they were free! The elephant king was so grateful. He thanked the mice with a big, happy trumpet sound. “Thank you very much! You have freed us all,” he said, his eyes twinkling with joy. With the elephants safe and sound, they all decided to take a different path home. And as for the mice, they stayed in their cozy village, living happily ever after, thanks to their bravery and friendship with the elephants.
Lesson Learned:
This story teaches us something very important, my little friends. It tells us that it’s essential to be kind and helpful to others, no matter how big or small they are. Just like the mice and the elephants helped each other out when they were in trouble, we should always try to help our friends when they need us. Remember, when we work together and show kindness to others, we can solve any problem and make the world a better place for everyone to live in. So, let’s always be kind and helpful, just like the mice and elephants in the story!