Here’s another great story from the Hitopadesha tales. A long time ago, a big and strong lion lived in a cave. One day, as he was sleeping peacefully in his cave, a small mouse climbed upon him and started troubling him. The lion got up in anger and tried to kill the mouse. But the mouse was very swift and nimble. Every time the lion pounced on him, he slipped away from his claws and hid himself in a small hole. The lion soon got tired and then said to himself, “I must not waste my strength and valour in trying to kill an insignificant enemy. Instead of killing the mouse myself, I must get someone else to do this job for me.”
So the lion went to a nearby village and convinced a cat to accompany him to his cave and live with him. The mouse was afraid of the cat and now stayed confined in its hole. The lion could now sleep peacefully as the cat kept a strict watch over the mouse’s hole and did not let it come out. Every day the lion used to give a small share from his kill to the cat. Both the master and the servant were thus, passing time happily with each other.
One day, the mouse ventured out to find something to eat. At once, the cat pounced upon it and killed it. The lion was very happy to learn that the troublesome mouse was finally dead. Now the lion completely lost interest in the cat and stopped giving him any food. Soon, the cat died of starvation.
It is wisely said people only value the things that are of some use to them.
For more interesting Hitopdesha stories, go to: Hitopadesha Stories.
For other interesting stories for kids, go to: Stories for Kids.