The Wise Mouse and Bouncy Tiger

The wise Mouse & Bouncy Tiger

On a dusty windy road in the middle of the countryside a wise mouse is walking. He carries everything he needs on his back and is happy and content. With each small step he breaths in really experiencing his surroundings, the fresh air and the beautiful rolling countryside.

Suddenly out of seemingly nowhere a bouncy tiger comes racing along the track. The tiger skids to a halt in a rather dramatic fashion and introduces himself to the mouse.

“Hello little mouse, I am Tony the bouncy tiger, do you want to race me?”

“Hello Tony tiger, I am Micheal mouse” replied our wise little mouse “I’m not in a rush Tony and have no need of a race, sorry”

“Oh come on” replies Tony bouncing up and down as he does so “it will be awesome”

“Sorry Tony, rushing around everywhere isn’t my thing, I like to breath in my surroundings and become present in the moment, I’m afraid running around we miss so much”

“Ohhhhhh please” replies Tony even more animated and bouncy

Our wise mouse has a little think to himself and decides the only way is to entertain the bouncy tiger’s idea of a race. And finally agrees.

Tony gets even more excited at the news and is uncontrollably bouncing around on the start line.

“So where do we race too” asks the little wise mouse

“Let’s race to the beautiful old tree, a few miles away” replies Tony “last one there smells like rotten cabbage”

The countdown begins

“3…..2…..1….. Go” shouts the mouse

The Tiger set off like a jet airplane leaving a cloud of dust as he goes, before long he is way out of sight and over the hill leaving our mouse far behind.

Back at the start line the dust finally settles and our little wise mouse picks up his rucksack and slowly sets off along the dirt road. Before long our mouse is happily enjoying the moment once again. Breathing in he becomes present, happy and content.

Far far ahead Tony the bouncy tiger is beginning to feel tired, the beautiful old tree is a lot further than he first thought. However he soon finds himself standing next to the old tree and feeling very triumphant indeed. The fast run has taken its effect and our Tiger is feeling sleepy and so decides to take a nap, safely in the knowledge a little mouses legs could never beat a tiger.

Meanwhile

Meanwhile at the back of the race our little wise mouse is quietly enjoying his stroll when he meets a lovely rabbit who has just made a fresh pot of herbal tea. He stays for a while before moving onwards where he then meets a lovely squirrel who shares her lunch. Feeling refreshed and energised our little mouse continues along the dusty road with an open heart, present in the moment. His next encounter is with a travelling band who play him a song as entertainment followed by a badger who teaches him a magic trick.

The Mouse & The Tiger meet again

Finally our little mouse comes to the beautiful old tree where the bouncy tiger is still fast asleep.

After gently awakening the tiger the little mouse recounts his day and all about the lovely people he met along his journey. The tiger listened intently and is completely taken aback how many people and how much fun the little mouse has had along the very same road the tiger had come.

“How is it little mouse that I met no one and you had all this fun?” asked the tiger “even though we both took the same path”

“Because tiger your always in such a rush. Bouncing around here and there and never really appreciating the moment your in. You chose to run as fast as you could and to the destination. I chose to enjoy the journey, the fresh air, the countryside and my surroundings I was walking in. This gave me time to meet others and share in there joy and happiness. It isn’t the destination that’s important, yes it may be our final goal, it’s the journey however that’s truly important. It’s this very journey that makes and shapes our very lives it moulds us into who we are”

“Wow little mouse that is profound and it makes total sense to me. I’m going to from now on slow down and smell the roses, I’m going to enjoy the journey more than where I’m trying to get too.”

And together the little wise mouse and the bouncy Tiger slowly walked off together along the dusty road, each enjoying the moment and the journey they were on.

Author: Dhamma Tāpasā*(Andrew Hallas)

Moral of the Story:

We all seem to live more and more hectic and busy lives. We rush from one task to the next never really taking enough time to appreciate and enjoy the simpler aspects of life. If you feel you are living your life like that of our tiger, at a hundred miles an hour. Then it’s time to stop and smell the roses. It’s time to look out for yourself and reconnect with the joys and delights of simplicity. Remember it’s the not the destination that’s all important in life but the journey it takes for us to get there. It time to enjoy that journey.

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