The saint and the mouse

Once upon a time, there was a wise person living in a forest who was highly respected. One day, while he was sitting very still and thinking deeply, a tiny mouse accidentally dropped onto his lap. This mouse had been carried by a crow in its mouth. The mouse spoke, asking for help.

Feeling compassion for the helpless mouse, the wise person gently picked it up and took care of it. He looked after it kindly and made sure it was well.

Another day, a cat started chasing the mouse. Frightened, the mouse sought refuge with the wise person. Using his special abilities, the wise person transformed the mouse into a cat. This new cat-companion lived happily with the wise person for a while.

Yet, one day, a dog began chasing the cat. The cat, afraid for its safety, rushed back to the wise person. Again, the wise person used his powers to turn the cat into a dog.

This dog became very loyal and followed the wise person everywhere. One night, while the dog was resting outside the small house, a tiger growled at it. Terrified, the dog ran to the wise person for safety. Using his powers once more, the wise person changed the dog into a tiger. This tiger, which was once a tiny mouse, now roamed the forest fearlessly.

However, the wise person continued treating this tiger as if it were still a mouse. The other animals in the forest, upon seeing the tiger, would say, "Our wise person turned a mouse into a tiger. We don't need to be scared."

The transformed tiger realized that it would always be thought of as a mouse as long as it was associated with the wise person. Filled with this realization, the tiger decided to eliminate the wise person to free itself from this reputation. But before it could attack, the wise person understood the tiger's intentions. Out of frustration, he changed the tiger back into a mouse, just as it was before.

Moral of the story: Don't harm or turn against those who have helped you.