Musi Ko Bihe – The Wedding of Musi, the mouse (Panchatantra story)

A Rishi (learned person) Lived in a beautiful place on the bank of river Bagmati. The Rishi lived alone and followed rigorous self-discipline. One beautiful morning, the Rishi was blissfully taking bath in the river. At that time, a hawk was flying over the river with a mouse gripped in its claws.

Luckily, the mouse escaped from the claws of the hawk and fell into the river by the side of the bathing Rishi. The hawk, very unhappy on loosing its pray was hovering over the river. The Rishi had to save the little mouse. He took the mouse on his refuge and took her to his little hermitage.

The Rishi used his powers to transform the little female mouse into a little girl, and took kept her as his daughter and named her Musi. He took good care of the little girl, Musi, and tended her properly.

She grew up into a beautiful and intelligent girl. When she became of the marriageable age, the Rishi thought about the most suitable candidate for his girl.

As she was his special child, she deserved a special husband. One beautiful morning he summoned the little girl and told her, “Little Musi, it is your time to get married. You are a special child so, you deserve the best of husbands. Why don’t you marry the Son-God.

Musi said, “Father, I do not wish to marry the Sun God. The Sun is very hot and fiery-tempered. I don’t think he would make a good husband.”

The Rishi felt good about Musi’s thoughtful words. He wondered, “Who might be better than even the Sun God for my Musi?”

He asked that question to the The Sun God himself, “Rishi ji, the King of Clouds is powerful and superior to me. The Cloud can easily cover me up and make me powerless.”

The Rishi felt better. He went to Musi and suggested, “Hey Musi, why don’t you marry King of Clouds. After all, he is more powerful than the Sun.”

Musi thought about it for a while and told, “Father, the King of Cloud is very wet, changes color, moves all over the sky, sometimes it disappears completely. How can I live with such an unreliable Cloud?”

The Rishi felt good about the thoughtfulness of Musi, but wondered, “Who would be better than the King of Clouds for my Musi?”

Rishi asked the King of Clouds and it has a better suggestion. “Hey Rishi, the Lord of Wind is much superior than me. The wind can push me and blow me away.”

The Rishi went to his daughter and asked, “Musi, why don’t you marry the Lord of Winds, after all he is superior than the Wind.”

The daughter said, “Father, the Wind is restless and cold.”

The Rishi felt good about the thoughtfulness of Musi, but wondered, “Who would be better than the Lord of Winds for my Musi?”

The Lord of Winds told, “Rishi ji, mountains are much superiors to me. They can easily stop me. Why don’t you ask the Lord of Mountains to marry your daughter.”

But the daughter said, “Father, the Lord of Mountains is very hard and immovable. I can’t live with such a person my entire life.”

The Rishi felt good about the thoughtfulness of Musi, but wondered, “Who would be better than the Lord of Mountains for my Musi?”

The Lord of Mountains said, “Rishi ji, mouse is much stronger and powerful than me. It can easily dig holes in me.”

The Rishi was very happy that the mouse was better than the mountain. He summoned the King of Mice and asked him to meet his Musi.

Musi liked the King of Mice instantly. Both the the King of Mice, Musi were very delighted to meet each other.