This story is part of the Panchatantra unit.

Story source: The

Panchatantra of Vishnu Sharma, translated by Arthur W. Ryder
(1925).
Mouse-Maid Made Mouse

The billows of the Ganges were dotted with pearly foam born of
the leaping of fishes frightened at hearing the roar of the waters
that broke on the rugged, rocky shore. On the bank was a
hermitage crowded with holy men devoting their time to the
performance of sacred rites — chanting, self-denial, self-torture,
study, fasting, and sacrifice. They would take purified water
only, and that in measured sips. Their bodies wasted under a
diet of bulbs, roots, fruits, and moss. A loin-cloth made of bark
formed their scanty raiment.

The father of the hermitage was named Yajnavalkya. After he

had bathed in the sacred stream and had begun to rinse his
mouth, a little female mouse dropped from a hawk's beak and
fell into his hand.

When he saw what she was, he laid her on a banyan leaf,

repeated his bath and mouth-rinsing, and performed a
ceremony of purification. Then through the magic power of his
holiness, he changed her into a girl, and took her with him to his
hermitage.

As his wife was childless, he said to her: "Take her, my dear

wife. She has come into life as your daughter, and you must
rear her carefully." So the wife reared her and spoiled her with
petting.

As soon as the girl reached the age of twelve, the mother saw
that she was ready for marriage, and said to her husband: "My
dear husband, how can you fail to see that the time is passing
when your daughter should marry?"

And he replied: "You are quite right, my dear. The saying goes:

Before a man is gratified,

These gods must treat her as a bride -
The fire, the moon, the choir of heaven;
In this way, no offense is given.

Holiness is the gift of fire;

A sweet voice, of the heavenly choir;
The moon gives purity within:
So is a woman free from sin.

Before nubility, it's said

That she is white; but after, red;
Before her womanhood is plain,
She is, though naked, free from stain.

The moon, in mystic fashion, weds

A maiden when her beauty spreads;
The heavenly choir, when bosoms grow;
The fire, upon the monthly flow.

To wed a maid is therefore good

Before developed womanhood;
Nor need the loving parents wait
Beyond the early age of eight.

The early signs one kinsman slay;

The bosom takes the next away;
Friends die for passion gratified;
The father, if she never be bride.
For if she bides a maiden still,
She gives herself to whom she will;
Then marry her in tender age:
So warns the heaven-begotten sage.

If she, unwed, unpurified,

Too long within the home abide,
She may no longer married be:
A miserable spinster, she.

A father then, avoiding sin,

Weds her, the appointed time within
(Wherever a husband may be had)
To good, indifferent, or bad.

Now I will try to give her to one of her own station. You know
the saying:

Where wealth is very much the same,

And similar the family fame,
Marriage (or friendship) is secure;
But not between the rich and poor.

And finally:

Aim at seven things in marriage;

All the rest you may disparage:

"But

Get money, good looks,

And knowledge of books,
Good family, youth,
Position, and truth.
"So, if she is willing, I will summon the blessèd sun, and give
her to him."

"I see no harm in that," said his wife. "Let it be done."

The holy man therefore summoned the sun, who appeared

without delay, and said: "Holy sir, why am I summoned?"

The father said: "Here is a daughter of mine. Be kind enough to

marry her."

Then, turning to his daughter, he said: "Little girl, how do you

like him, this blessèd lamp of the three worlds?"

"No, father," said the girl. "He is too burning hot. I could not like
him. Please summon another one, more excellent than he is."

Upon hearing this, the holy man said to the sun: "Blessed one,
is there any superior to you?"

And the sun replied: "Yes, the cloud is superior even to me.
When he covers me, I disappear."

So the holy man summoned the cloud next, and said to the
maiden: "Little girl, I will give you to him."

"No," said she. "This one is black and frigid. Give me to

someone finer than he."

Then the holy man asked: "O cloud, is there anyone superior to
you?"

And the cloud replied: "The wind is superior even to me."

So he summoned the wind, and said: "Little girl, I give you to
him."

"Father," said she, "this one is too fidgety. Please invite

somebody superior even to him."

So the holy man said: "O wind, is there anyone superior even to
you?"

"Yes," said the wind. "The mountain is superior to me."

So he summoned the mountain and said to the maiden: "Little

girl, I give you to him."

"Oh, father," said she. "He is rough all over, and stiff. Please
give me to somebody else."

So the holy man asked: "O kingly mountain, is there anyone

superior even to you?"

"Yes," said the mountain. "Mice are superior to me."

Then the holy man summoned a mouse, and presented him to

the girl, saying: "Little girl, do you like this mouse?"

The moment she saw him, she felt: "My own kind, my own
kind," and her body thrilled and quivered, and she said: "Father
dear, turn me into a mouse, and give me to him. Then I can
keep house as my kind of people ought to do."

And her father, through the magic power of his holiness, turned
her into a mouse, and gave her to him.
Panchatantra

THE MOUSE –MAID MADE MOUSE

Though mountain sun, and cloud and wind

Were suitors at her feet,
The mouse – maid turned a mouse again-
Nature is hard to beat
Below the verdant slopes of the Himalayan mountain was a hermitage. In it lived rishi Sandop
and his wife. Rishi Sandop was a learned scholar. With his many years of `tapsya’ he had
acquired numerous powers, which could be wielded in this world and in other worlds. However
he was a peace loving and benevolent sage rarely given to temper and lived a peaceful life
with his wife Malini. The couple though blessed and happy had one grief close to their bosom,
they did not have any child to fondle, love and bring up with care.

One day rishi sandop was out to take his morning bath in the rippling mountain stream near
by, a tributary of river Ganges. He dipped himself in the cool refreshing water and taking a
handful of water and was about to offer his prayers to rising Sun God; all of a sudden a small
mouse fell in to his hand. The mouse, which was caught as a prey by a hawk had slipped from
its beak and fell in to the hands of the rishi, a small female mouse it was, and it squeaked and
cried for its dear life. The calm and compassionate eyes of the rishi fell on the struggling mouse,
he was moved with pity. He laid it gently on a plantain leaf and caressed it gently and just on
a whim moved by the state of the little mouse he converted it into a small female child with
the vast powers of his `tapasya’. He than took it home to his wife Malini, laid the child on her
hands and told her `Dear, I found her on the bathing ghat, The child will be a boon to our
childless state, hence consider her from now as your own child and bring her with care and
love.

The pious wife of the rishi, Malini was highly pleased with this gift. She took the child in with
great adoration and brought her up with lot of care and love. They named her Pushpika. The
child nurtured so grew up in to a lovely girl with curly hair, almond eyes, springy gait. She used
to frolick around all over the hermitage while her mother looked at her indulgently. She was
given the best of food and taught by the learned parents all that has to be taught to a young
growing girl child.

As she reached the age of fourteen and was in the threshold of her youth, looking attractive
and bewitching, her mother Malini started getting anxious about her future. She approached
the rishi Sandop, her lord and master who was always immersed in prayers and meditation
and spoke thus `My lord, have you seen of late our dear Pushpika, hasn’t she come to age? I
think it is the right time to give her hand to a suitable groom, so that she can start leading a
life fit for her age and youth’.

Rishi contemplated on his wife’s statement, his eyes fell on his dear daughter who though
hearing the discussion of her parents was demurely plucking flowers for pooja in a basket and
trying to hide cheeks which had turned crimson with shyness and excitement as she knew her
parents were talking about her marriage.

The state of affairs was not hidden now from Rishi Sandop. He told his wife and `ardaghini’ `
Yes my dear you are correct. it is time indeed we look for a suitable groom for our daughter’

So saying rishi Sandop with his mystic powers of addressing heaven and earth called the Lord
of the sky the Sun God and and told `Lord of the three worlds the bright and brilliant Sun, my
daughter Pushpika has come to age, I am looking for a suitable groom for her, will you like to
take her in your hand’, he than turned to his daughter ` My dear will you like to accept this
most brilliant excellent groom, the Lord of the three worlds as your husband’.

Pushpika on hearing this was all of a sudden awakened of her latent instincts, she with her
original instincts of a mouse sect, shunned the very brilliance of Sun and told `Father, I would
like to marry some one who can subdue the brilliance of the Sun, please excuse me on this’

Rishi Sandop turned to the lord Sun and asked him `Can you name any one who is superior to
you and bring down your brilliance’ `Yes, of course, the all pervading clouds can any time will
bring down my brilliance, in that way I think the clouds are superior to me’

On hearing this risihi summoned the ever-powerful passing clouds, which change the face of
the earth with their movements `Oh! The ever moving clouds, sometimes dense and laden,
some times light and fluffy taking all the hues of the rainbow, are you willing to accept my
pretty daughter as your wife’

`But father these clouds are dark and frigid, I don’t fancy them as my husband, please get me
some one who can conquer these clouds’ cried Pushpika

The rishi than asked the clouds `Pray, can you tell me any one superior to you’ `Yes learned
sage, the swift winds are superior to us, they drive us hither and thither as per their will and
move us from place to place, we are just puppets in the hands of Lord Vayu’
The rishi than called the fast moving winds and told `Oh! Mighty winds your gait is faster than
the fastest moving things in the earth, you can reach the heaven and earth and any corner of
the globe in speeds as fast as the mind, would you like to accept this pretty maiden and my
daughter as your wife’

On hearing this Pushpika told `Father, no doubt the wind is swift but it is also shifty and never
steady, I would like to marry some one who can stop the winds in his track and superior to
him’

The rishi than asked the winds `Can you tell me the swift winds, is their any one more superior
to you?

`Yes the learned one, the mighty and formidable mountains are superior to us, they stop us on
the track and do not allow us go beyond their domain’

Then the Maharishi called the mountains and told ` The mighty mountains so tall you are that
you touch the skies and so strong you are nor the Sun, nor the wind or the clouds can move
you from your appointed place, Will you marry this pretty maiden for whom I am searching a
suitable groom’

On hearing him Pushpika came closer to her father and opined in his ears ` Father, though he
is mighty, he is rough and stiff, I will like to marry some one who can conquer his stiffness’

The rishi than turned to the mountains and asked `pray can you think of any one who is really
stronger than you?’

The mountains pondered on this and told` Yes, the learned Maharishi, the mice though small is
mightier than us, as it digs and dwells with in us, making tunnels and passages in our interiors’

On hearing this rishi summoned the nubile and quick-witted King Mooshika `Oh! Mooshika
though small in size, I find you are blessed with ingenuity, movement and quick wit to survive.
You conquer the mighty mountains, caves and dwellings of people both rich and poor. You
can survive in wealth and penury, you can stay in mighty mountains and lowly gutters, thus
you are the true conqueror of different worlds. Will you give your prince to marry my dear
daughter Pushpika for whom I am searching for a suitable bride’

On seeing the mouse the pretty maiden clapped her hands with glee, blushed crimson pink
and ran to her father `Father dear, I will be most happy to marry this handsome and
intelligent prince Mooshika, however please convert me into a mouse so that I will be a fitting
match to him’

The rishi remembered his deed fourteen years back when he had converted the mouse to a
maiden, Indeed `Nature is hard to beat’, so thinking the rishi with his holy powers converted
the pretty maiden back to mouse and gave her to the most suitable groom prince Mooshika’

The bride and the groom married ran away happily from the hermitage to lead their life with
their own kind.