Little Mouse Peek-Peek
In the jungles of India, there once lived a carefree little mouse. His home was a hollow in the trunk of a mighty coconut palm. Everything was wonderful for the mouse; his days were filled with joy and merriment. Some days were better, some were worse, but there were very few big troubles.Every time he had a hearty meal of seeds, roots, and sometimes even flies and worms, the mouse would happily sing in his home. Sometimes, of course, he sang sad songs, but more often they were cheerful. And this mouse had a very simple name—Peek-Peek.
So this Peek-Peek lived his carefree life until one day a thought struck him:
"I live on a coconut palm, but I’ve never tasted a coconut in my life. Are they tasty? Are they sweet? I eat flies, roots, and grains, so why not try a coconut?"
As soon as the mouse thought this, a huge coconut fell from the palm tree, landed on the ground with a thud, and rolled noisily toward the mouse. Yes, a coconut is no ordinary nut—it’s a huge, sweet, and delicious treat! But its shell is very hard.
The mouse rushed to the gift that had fallen from the sky and began gnawing at it with his sharp teeth. He gnawed and gnawed, but to no avail—he couldn’t bite off even a tiny piece. In despair, Peek-Peek began to cry. He walked around the coconut, back and forth, lamenting:
"The shell is so hard, I can’t handle it. Will I never get to taste the juicy coconut flesh or the sweet coconut milk? I don’t need much—just a little taste, that’s all!"
As it happened, when the coconut fell from the tree, it hit a rock, and a crack formed in its shell. Peek-Peek found this crack. But it was so narrow that he couldn’t squeeze through, no matter how hard he tried. Yes, unfortunately, that was the case: the crack was small and narrow, and the mouse was big and plump. How could the poor mouse squeeze through the crack? And now he was both hungry and thirsty.
The mouse cried again. How could he not cry? He no longer wanted any other food—no flies, no worms, no seeds, no roots. He only wanted the coconut! He cried and cried, grieved and grieved, and grew so thin that he became tiny, just a little speck. And since he had become so small, he easily slipped through the crack in the coconut shell.
Go on, little mouse, sing, dance, and rejoice! Your dream has come true—now you can feast on the juicy coconut flesh and drink the delicious milk. Go on, little one, luck is on your side, it’s smiling at you. Let this be your celebration!
Peek-Peek ate all the coconut flesh, drank all the coconut milk, curled up inside the nut, and fell asleep. When he woke up, he had turned back into a big, plump mouse.
"Alright," thought Peek-Peek. "I’ve eaten well, but how will I get out? The crack is so small, and I’m so big."
He tried gnawing at the walls, breaking them, but it was all in vain—Peek-Peek was like a prisoner in a cell.
The mouse grew sad and realized he had acted very foolishly:
"Woe is me! I deserve this. I got what I deserved!" he wailed. "Woe, woe, woe is me!"
He understood that he had to let go of any hope for a quick escape from his misfortune. Peek-Peek cried and cried, grieved and grieved, and grew so thin that he turned back into a tiny, skinny mouse, as slender as a stalk.
And since he had become so small, he was able to slip out of the coconut shell.
"Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!" Peek-Peek rejoiced.
So go on, little mouse, rejoice and dance! Go on, little mouse, sing and don’t grieve! After all, anything is possible if you truly want it. Just remember forever: don’t take more than you need. Rejoice in life, little mouse Peek-Peek—today is your celebration! His dreams came true, so may yours come true too.
Three apples fell from the sky: one for the listener, one for the storyteller, and one for the one who took it all to heart.
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