The Mouse Maiden: A Panchatantra Story for Kids

Are you fond of magic? Well, once a tiny mouse came into the hands of a priest by the chance of luck. He changed her into a little girl. But should you know that the magic could only change her form but not her heart. She was mighty happy with the life the priest blessed her with. However, in the search for a suitable groom, yet again her life took a giant leap. So let us read the story of the mouse maiden and find out how the turn of fate changed her life forever.

The Mouse Maiden

The Mouse Maiden Story 

Once upon a time, in a village on the banks of the Ganges, there lived a priest and his wife. They led a simple life and were very devoted to God. After many years of marriage, the priest and his wife were still childless. In every prayer, they wished to have a child. Though the priest was bestowed with magical powers, none of his powers could help them bear a child.

One day when the priest was praying in the Ganges, with his arms stretched open, he felt something on his palms. It was a mouse. It had appeared out of the thin air. When he looked up he saw an eagle and knew that it had dropped the mouse off its beak. He thought that it must be God’s gift and turned it into a beautiful little girl by chanting some ‘mantras’. He then took the little girl home to his wife. When his wife saw the little girl with him she said, “Who is she? Where have you found her?”. The priest told her the whole story and asked her if he should change the little girl back to a mouse. His wife was very happy to see the little girl and thought of raising her as their daughter. 

She said to the priest, “Please do not change her back to a mouse. She is God’s gift to us. Since you have already given her life, let us raise her with love and care, as our own daughter.”. The priest was pleased with this idea and named her Aishi, God’s gift. So they raised her up over the years.

The priest and his daughter

Years passed by, Aishi grew up to be a pretty young lady, and her mother decided to get her married. She said to the priest, “Our daughter is now grown up. Let us find a suitable groom for her.”. The priest and his wife thought that the great Sun God could be a suitable groom for their daughter. They prayed to the Sun God and when he appeared, they asked him if he would marry their daughter. However, their daughter had some different views. She said, “Sorry Father, but I cannot marry the Sun God. He is burning hot and I shall be reduced to ashes with his warmth.”. The priest was disappointed to hear this. The Sun God said, “My warmth is reduced when the cloud covers me. He is more powerful. Perhaps he is the suitable groom for your daughter.”. 

The Priest and his daughter with the Sun God and the Cloud God

The priest thought that his daughter must like the Cloud God as the Sun God suggested. So the priest and his wife prayed to the Cloud God. When he appeared they asked him if he would marry their daughter. To this, their daughter said, “I am sorry father, but the Cloud God is way too dark. I am intimidated by his thunder. I cannot marry him.”. The priest was again disappointed to hear his daughter refuse to marry the Cloud God. When the Cloud God heard this, he said, “Perhaps, the Wind God may be the suitable groom for your daughter, as he blows me away. So he is greater than me.”. 

So, the priest and his wife prayed to the Wind God to appear. When he came, they asked him if he would marry their daughter. However, their daughter said, “No, no, the Wind God is too stormy. I shall be blown off my feet by his strong air. I cannot marry him, father.”. The priest was again disappointed as she refused to marry the Wind God. The Wind God told the priest, “The Mountain is greater than I am as I cannot move it with even my strong winds. Perhaps he is more suitable for your daughter.”. 

The priest told his wife of this and they again prayed to the Mountain God to appear. When he came, they asked him if he would marry their daughter. However, their daughter refused to marry him and said, “Father, he is too mighty and big. I will not marry him.” The priest then asked the Mountain God, “Oh Mighty Mountain, is there anyone greater than you who can be a suitable groom for my daughter?”. The Mountain said, “The mouse digs holes in me. I think he is greater than me. Perhaps, he is the suitable groom for your daughter.”. 

Image: The priest and his daughter with the Mountain God and the Mouse Groom

The priest found a mouse and when his daughter saw him, she exclaimed, “Father, He is perfect, I want to marry him!”. The priest and his wife kissed their daughter with love and turned her back into a mouse. Then, the mouse maiden was married to the mouse and they lived in a hole, at the feet of the mountains happily ever after.    

Moral of the Story

The moral of the Mouse Maiden Story is: “However great one may become, one must never forget one’s roots.”.

Conclusion

Thus, the story of the mouse maiden teaches us that we truly belong to our roots no matter how great a change life brings about in us. To remember one’s roots is one of the most fundamental lessons that life teaches us every now and then. Kids will surely enjoy reading the amusing journey of the tiny mouse through the life of a beautiful young girl back to its form of a mouse. They will learn the invaluable life lesson of always remembering one’s roots through this mouse maiden story.