The Elephants and the Mice

A vast number of mice lived by a big lake. One day, a herd of elephants came there and trampled and killed hundreds of mice. The surviving mice were worried. 

"We need to ask these elephants for mercy,” said the chief mouse to them.

He pleaded with the head elephant to take a different route to the lake, and the head elephant acceded.

One day, the king ordered his men to catch all the elephants in the jungle. The men trapped all but one elephant in the nets. The elephant that escaped went straight to the chief mouse and asked for help. All the mice immediately ran to the nets, nibbled at them, and freed the elephants.

Mercy begets more mercy.