The Ungrateful Tiger!

In ancient times, the kingdom of Silbaripuram was a vast wilderness. Eventually, patches of forest were cleared, and people began to settle in small pockets. Among them lived a divine Guru. Many years passed, and one day, while the Guru was meditating under the shade of a tree, a small incident occurred.

An eagle had snatched a tiny mouse and was flying high. As the mouse struggled fiercely to escape, it slipped from the eagle’s talons and plummeted toward the earth. As luck would have it, the mouse landed right in the Guru’s lap.

The Guru took pity on the creature, fed it, and raised it. The mouse enjoyed a peaceful life in the ashram. However, one day, a neighboring cat tried to hunt the mouse. Terrified, the mouse ran to the Guru for protection.

The mouse pleaded, "Guruji, that cat is a threat to my life. I have escaped death by a hair’s breadth many times. I am fed up with living in constant fear. Please, turn me into a cat!"

With a simple mantra, the Guru transformed the mouse into a cat. He no longer feared the neighbor’s cat. But months later, a leopard strayed from the forest into the village at night. When the leopard chased the "mouse-turned-cat," it once again sought refuge with the Guru.

Upon seeing the Guru, the leopard got scared and retreated into the woods. But the cat cried out, "That leopard might come back to eat me! Please, make me into a leopard!"

Immediately, he was transformed into a leopard! Though he looked fierce, he lived peacefully in the ashram without harming anyone. However, whenever the villagers saw him, they would mock him, saying, "He is just a common mouse. He only became a cat and then a leopard because of the Guru’s powers. This leopard-shaped mouse is actually a total coward."

Hearing this repeatedly, the leopard grew resentful and muttered to himself, "The Guru is the reason for my humiliation. Even though he changed me from a mouse to a leopard, people still mock me because of him. I will kill this 'miracle Guru' and prove to the world that I am the most powerful."

One day, while the villagers were visiting the Guru, the leopard prepared to pounce in front of everyone. Sensing the danger, the Guru remained alert. The moment the leopard leaped, the Guru transformed him back into a mouse!

The Guru commanded angrily, "Never show your face around this ashram again!"

The villagers burst into laughter. The terrified mouse ran away, only to end up right in front of the neighbor’s cat. In an instant, he became the cat’s meal.

The Moral

Our current success and status are often the result of many transformations and the support of others. We must never forget our roots or those who helped us rise.