Once upon a time, there was a kind-hearted and magnificent white elephant who dearly loved his old, blind mother and always took great care of her. They lived in a cave beside a beautiful lake surrounded by lovely pink lotus flowers.
One day, a woodcutter got lost in the forest and became very scared of being alone in the dense woods. He started crying and calling for help. The elephant was gathering berries for his mother when he heard the man’s cries of distress. He helped the man find his way out of the forest, and the woodcutter was very grateful.
A few days later, the woodcutter heard that King Brahmadutta’s elephant had died. The king was searching for a new one, and the woodcutter remembered the kind white elephant. He thought he might get a reward if he told the king about it.
The next day, the woodcutter led the king to the white elephant’s cave. The elephant was saddened by the woodcutter’s selfishness but did not protest because he did not want to hurt anyone. And so, the elephant was taken away to the king’s palace. When the elephant’s poor mother realized that her son had been taken from her, she lay down in the cave, heartbroken with grief.
Meanwhile, the white elephant received a grand welcome in the royal elephant stable. The caretakers prepared a feast for him, but he did not touch the food at all. He simply sat there, looking sorrowful.
The king came by to see what was wrong. The elephant told the king about his blind mother and explained that she could not possibly survive on her own. The compassionate king was deeply moved by the elephant’s story, and he allowed him to return to his mother.
The white elephant lovingly cared for his mother until she passed away. The king often visited them. And when the white elephant, too, passed away one day, the king erected a statue of him beside the lake and held an annual elephant festival in his honor.
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