A story from Mahabharata, Shanti parva (chapter 136):
Once upon a time, there stood a great banyan tree in a forest. Its thick green canopy, braided by ivy, was the home of many birds, reptiles, and insects. Its intricate and dense roots were the habitat of many rodents and other small animals. Some big animals lived under the tree and in the thicket around. Overall, the banyan tree was a forest in the forest.
A wise little mouse named Palita lived in the roots of the banyan tree. He had a formidable enemy, a cat named Lomasha, that lived in the roof of the tree for many generations. Once a hunter took shelter under the banyan tree. Every day, he would set traps up by nightfall and collect the game at the daybreak. On one night, the cat, Lomasha, though alert all along, fell trap. The mouse, Palita, thinking about his enemy’s foolishness, felt relieved. Palita roamed freely and feasted upon the bait generously left by the hunter.
The mouse’s happiness was short-lived, though. A mongoose named Harika was eying the mouse, while an owl named Chandraka sketched an ariel attack. Palita quickly recognized the impending trouble and thought of a way out. He recognized that the cat, Lomasha, was his best option. Hence, Palita said to the cat, “Wise Lomasha, look how cruel the destiny is upon us. While you are trapped, an owl and a mongoose are about to hunt me. We could help each other and escape from the clutches of death. If you sheltered me in your thick fur, I would later release you from the trap.”
The cat agreed, and both made promises to help each other. Palita hid in the cat’s thick fur and disappointed the hungry owl and mongoose. Relived by the disappearance of the owl and mongoose, the mouse started chewing the trap’s ropes away one by one. The cat, Lomasha, running out of patience, pressed the mouse to hurry. “Releasing you too early threatens my life and too late breaks the promise. Thus, I will release you fully only upon the sight of the hunter, when you would rush to save your life instead of chasing me,” said the clever mouse. Lomasha was hurt by the harsh words of his new friend and tried to persuade Palita but in vain.
At the nightfall, seeing the hunter returning, the mouse set the cat free. Both fled away to their homes. Lomasha persuaded Palita to remain a good friend thereafter. But the wise mouse, knowing the way nature takes over judgment, said, “Though we are natural enemies, we helped each other in trouble for our own good. However, we shall remain enemies out of trouble. Goodbye.”
Moral: When surrounded by trouble, forging alliances with a formidable needy enemy may save the day.
