A long, long time ago, there was a very old village that had been damaged by an earthquake. No people lived there anymore. But in this empty village, a whole bunch of mice made their home.

Near the village was a big lake. A herd of elephants used to go to the lake every day to drink water. To get to the lake, they had to walk through the village.

One day, as the elephants walked through, they accidentally stepped on many mice! The mice were very scared and upset.

The leader of the mice bravely went to talk to the elephants. He asked them to use a different path to the lake, and promised to help them if they ever needed it.

The elephants laughed! They thought, “How can such tiny mice ever help us big elephants?” But they were kind, so they promised to use a different path.

Some days later, something terrible happened. Hunters caught the elephants and trapped them in big nets!

When the mice heard this, they rushed to help! They used their sharp teeth to chew through the ropes and nets, freeing the elephants.

The elephant leader thanked the mice again and again. He finally understood that you shouldn’t laugh at someone because of their size. Everyone has special skills!

The Moral of the Story: True friends are the ones who help you when you are in trouble. Always help your friends when they need you.