The Cat and the Mouse

Dadi: "Guddu beta, today I'll tell you a story about unlikely friends - a cat and a mouse who needed each other to survive."

Guddu: "A cat and a mouse? But cats eat mice, Dadi!"

Dadi: "Exactly! That's what makes this story from the Mahabharata so interesting. It teaches us about when enemies must become temporary friends."

Guddu: "Tell me what happened!"

Dadi: "In a forest, under a great banyan tree, there lived a wise mouse named Palita. He had dug a burrow with a hundred escape routes - he was very clever about survival."

Guddu: "A hundred escape routes! That's smart!"

Dadi: "On the branches of the same tree lived a cat named Lomasa. Every day, Lomasa would hunt birds in the tree. Now, Palita always stayed hidden when the cat was around."

Guddu: "Of course! The cat would eat him!"

Dadi: "One day, a hunter came to the forest. He set up a trap made of leather strings near the tree. And guess what happened?"

Guddu: "The cat got caught?"

Dadi: "Yes! Lomasa the cat was caught in the trap. When Palita the mouse saw this, he came out of his burrow and started eating the meat that the hunter had used as bait. He was happy - with the cat trapped, he was safe!"

Guddu: "Clever mouse!"

Dadi: "But wait, beta. While Palita was enjoying his freedom, he suddenly saw two other dangers. A mongoose named Harita was creeping toward him. And an owl named Chandraka was watching from a branch above!"

Guddu: "Oh no! He has three enemies now - the cat, the mongoose, AND the owl!"

Dadi: "Exactly. The trapped cat couldn't eat him, but the mongoose and owl certainly could. Palita was in terrible danger."

Guddu: "What did he do?"

Dadi: "This is where Palita showed his wisdom. He thought carefully and realized something: his only chance of survival was to make friends with his enemy - the cat!"

Guddu: "Friends with the cat?!"

Dadi: "He went to Lomasa and said, "Cat, I have a deal for you. You need to escape from this trap. I can gnaw through the strings and free you. But in return, you must protect me from the mongoose and the owl.""

Guddu: "Did the cat agree?"

Dadi: "What choice did she have? She was trapped! So she agreed. Palita crept under the cat's body, where the mongoose couldn't reach him and the owl couldn't swoop down. It was the safest place in the forest!"

Guddu: "Smart! The cat's body was like a fort!"

Dadi: "While hiding under the cat, Palita slowly started gnawing at the leather strings of the trap. But he was very slow about it."

Guddu: "Why slow? Shouldn't he free the cat quickly?"

Dadi: "Ah, but Palita was clever! If he freed the cat too early, what would stop the cat from eating him? So he cut the strings slowly, very slowly, while the mongoose and owl waited outside."

Guddu: "Oh! He was buying time!"

Dadi: "The cat got impatient. "Hurry up, mouse! Cut faster!" But Palita said, "There is no need to hurry. I will cut the final string only when the hunter comes back. Then you can escape, and I can run to my burrow, and we'll both be safe.""

Guddu: "That's so clever! He made sure they both stayed safe!"

Dadi: "When dawn came and the hunter started walking toward the trap, Palita quickly cut the last string. The cat jumped onto the tree. The mouse dived into his burrow. The hunter arrived to find his trap empty and went away disappointed."

Guddu: "Everyone escaped! Well, except the hunter."

Dadi: "Later, the cat called out to Palita from the tree. "Friend mouse! Come out! Let us continue our friendship now that the danger has passed.""

Guddu: "Did Palita come out?"

Dadi: "*laughs* No, beta! Palita was wise. From the safety of his burrow, he said: "Cat, our alliance was for a specific purpose. That purpose is served. Our fundamental natures haven't changed - you are still a predator, I am still your prey. A smart mouse should never trust a cat once the common danger has passed.""

Guddu: "So they went back to being enemies?"

Dadi: "Not exactly enemies - they just stopped being friends. Palita said something important: "Make peace with powerful enemies during common danger, but maintain vigilance afterward.""

Guddu: "So the friendship was only temporary?"

Dadi: "Yes, beta. And that's the lesson from this Mahabharata story. Sometimes in life, people who are normally rivals must work together against a bigger threat. Countries do this, businesses do this, even friends who are fighting will unite against a bully."

Guddu: "Like when two cricket teams that hate each other both support India against another country?"

Dadi: "Perfect example! But the story also warns us: just because you worked together once doesn't mean the other person has changed. The cat was still a cat. Once the danger passed, Palita wisely kept his distance."

Guddu: "So what's the main lesson, Dadi?"

Dadi: "Several lessons, beta. First, even enemies can cooperate when they face a common threat. Second, be smart about timing - Palita didn't free the cat until the right moment. Third, don't be naive after the cooperation ends. Alliances based on need don't always become true friendships."

Guddu: "That sounds a bit sad, Dadi."

Dadi: "It's practical wisdom, beta. Not everyone who helps you during hard times is your forever friend. Some are just allies for that moment. It's important to know the difference."

Guddu: "But you and I are forever friends, right Dadi?"

Dadi: "*hugs Guddu* Forever and ever, mere bacche. Family is different from tactical alliances! Now, unlike the cat and mouse, shall we share some snacks together?"

Guddu: "Yes! And I promise not to eat YOUR share!"

Dadi: "*laughs* That would make you smarter than the cat!"