A new retelling of an ancient Indian fable teaches a new generation that a friend in need is a friend indeed, as a true friend’s compassion and humility proves that a helping hand—no matter how small—can bring forth a reward of immeasurable kindness. Read the complete book with rich colorful illustrations below.
Deep in the jungle, a big, happy family of elephants lived. Their leader was a kind king named Raja. Every morning, they walked to the lake for a big drink of water. THUMP, THUMP, THUMP went their big feet.
But down on the ground, under the big green leaves, lived a family of tiny mice. Their king was a brave little mouse named Mooshika. Their little homes were right in the elephants’ path!
One day, THUMP! CRUNCH! The elephants walked right over the mice village. “Oh no! Our houses!” squeaked the little mice.
Brave King Mooshika scurried up to the giant elephant king. “Please, King Raja,” he squeaked. “Your big feet are breaking our homes. Could you please choose a new path to the lake?”
King Raja looked down and saw the sad little mice and their broken homes. “Oh, you poor things! I am so sorry,” he rumbled gently. “Of course, we will find a new way to walk.”
“Thank you, thank you!” squeaked King Mooshika. “One day, we will help you too!” The big elephant smiled. How could a tiny mouse ever help a giant elephant?
The next week, some tricky hunters came to the jungle! They threw big, strong ropes over the elephants. “Oh no! We’re trapped!” trumpeted King Raja.
King Mooshika and his mice heard the loud trumpets. “The elephants are in trouble!” he cried. “Quickly, everyone! To the rescue!”
The little mice scurried to the trapped elephants. They used their sharp little teeth to chew and nibble on the thick ropes. NIBBLE, NIBBLE, NIBBLE! SNAP! The ropes broke!
“We are free!” trumpeted King Raja. He gently lifted the little mouse king with his trunk. “Thank you, my little friend. You saved us! A friend in need is a friend indeed.” And from that day on, the elephants and the mice were the best of friends.
* © Developed with the assistance of Gemini.ai by Henrik Frederiksen [Founder ElephantTribe.org]
** Original Story from The Patantra: Book II “The Winning of Friends”.
*** Mooshika” (or Mūṣika) is a Sanskrit word that means “mouse” or “rat”. In Hindu mythology, the Mooshika Vahana is the divine mouse that serves as the vehicle, or Vahana, for the deity Lord Ganesha. The Mooshika symbolizes control over desires, greed, ego, and the restless mind, representing Ganesha’s ability to overcome and tame even the smallest or most destructive aspects of human nature.
**** Raja is a common given name and a surname, derived from Sanskrit राजन् (rajan), meaning “king”, “ruler”.