Not far from the temple was a muddy swamp where a mischievous pig lived. The pig loved rolling in the mud and often mocked others for not joining in its messy fun. One day, as the temple elephant walked gracefully to the river for its daily bath, the pig spotted it and decided to cause trouble.
Hey, elephant! Why are you always so clean? Come and roll in the mud with me—it’s fun! the pig called out, laughing. The elephant stopped and looked at the pig calmly. “Thank you, pig, but I enjoy being clean and fresh. It’s part of who I am.”
The pig smirked and, without warning, splashed mud all over the elephant. The villagers nearby gasped, expecting the elephant to lose its temper. But the temple elephant remained calm and said, “It’s alright, pig. You can enjoy the mud, but I’ll stay true to myself.”
The elephant walked to the river, washed off the mud, and returned to the temple as clean and serene as ever. The pig watched, confused and surprised. It had expected the elephant to get angry or fight back. Curious, the pig approached the elephant later and asked, “Why didn’t you get angry when I splashed mud on you?”
The elephant smiled and replied, “If I had fought back, I would have only made myself dirty. Staying calm and true to myself keeps me at peace. You see, I am a temple elephant, and I must reflect purity and dignity.”
The pig felt ashamed of its actions and realized the wisdom in the elephant’s words. From that day on, the pig decided to respect the elephant and others who were different from it. Though it still loved rolling in the mud, it stopped splashing it on others.
The villagers admired the temple elephant even more for its patience and wisdom. And while the pig and the elephant lived very different lives, they came to respect each other’s ways.
Moral of the story: Stay true to yourself and rise above negativity. Kindness and patience can inspire change in others.
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