Short Stories » The Wedding of a Mouse

The Wedding of a Mouse - Panchatantra Stories for Kids

Once upon a time, a saint was living in a jungle. He had achieved high spirituality by worshipping God and Goddesses. One day, he was taking bath in the river. At the same time, an eagle holding a mouse in his claws was passing overhead. Ironically, the eagle dropped the mouse which landed into the hands of the saint. The saint thanked God and prayed to the Lord to turn it into a human baby. The saint had reached divinity, so the Lord listened to him and reformed the mouse as a baby girl.

The saint was very happy. When he reached home, he told the whole incident to his wife. Both of them decided to bring up the child as their daughter. The wife was also very happy and thanked God. They regarded the baby as a gift from God for them since they had no child of their own. They raised their little girl and gave her the best education and learning. A time came when the girl reached the marriageable age. They planned to seek a special groom for their special daughter.

The saint asked the Sun God, “Please marry my daughter if she accepts your proposal.” But the girl did not agree to marry the Sun God. She told the saint, “Sun is very hot, it’s too shiny even to look at. Please seek a better partner for me”. The saint asked the Sun God, “Who can be a better partner than you for my beautiful daughter?” “The cloud is more powerful than me because my strength is useless while raining,” the Sun replied.

Next day the saint summoned the clouds. He asked the clouds, “Please marry my daughter if she accepts you!!” But the girl was not ready to marry the clouds either. “The clouds are humid and wet always. So, you can find a better alliance for me,” she replied. They give thunder and lightning. I will always be fearful. Please seek a better groom for me”. On hearing this, the saint inquired the clouds, “Who can be a better match than you?” “Wind is stronger than me because it can move me as per its wish,” the cloud said.

Guruji called upon the lord of winds and ordered, “Marry my beautiful daughter if she accepts you!!” But the girl refused to marry the winds too. “Father, I do not think that wind is a perfect match for me because it is too fast and sometimes too slow. It is not consistent in one place. Please seek a better partner for me.” The saint asked the Lord of the winds, “Who can be a better groom than you for my daughter?” The lords of winds replied, “Guruji you can ask the mountains to marry your daughter”. They are high and mighty!!! I cannot move past them.”

The saint ordered the mountain, “Marry my daughter if she is ready to marry you!” But the girl did not agree to marry the mountains. She replied to her father, “I can’t marry the mountains, they are tall and hard”. The saint again asked the mountain, “Who can be a better match than you for my daughter”. “The mouse will be a better match for your daughter because it can carve me inside easily,” the mountain said. The girl immediately agreed to the proposal of the mouse. She replied shyly to the saint, “Dear father I wish to marry him and accept him as my husband”.

The saint sighed towards the heaven and married his daughter to the mouse by again turning the girl into a mouse.

Moral: It is hard to change the innate habits of someone.