Once upon a time, in a land far away, there lived a mouse and a snake who were both expecting their first babies. The mouse was very protective of his baby and warned him never to go near the brook that flowed through the forest. He said, "The brook is deep and dangerous, my son. If you fall in, you will drown and die. And if you don't, the snake will get you. He is our mortal enemy and he will not hesitate to devour you."
The snake was also very cautious of his baby and forbade him from venturing into the forest. He said, "The forest is full of traps and hunters, my son. If you get caught, you will be killed and skinned. And if you don't, the mouse will get you. He is our natural prey and he will not hesitate to steal your food."
But the baby mouse and the baby snake were both curious and adventurous. They longed to see the world beyond their homes. One day, they both sneaked out of their nests and went to explore the forest. They met each other at the brook and were instantly fascinated by each other. They introduced themselves and started to play together. They splashed in the water, chased each other around the trees, and shared stories and secrets. They felt a bond of friendship that they had never felt before.
The baby mouse and the baby snake became the best of friends. They met every day at the brook and had fun together. They did not care about their differences or their parents' warnings. They only cared about each other.
But their friendship did not go unnoticed. One day, the mouse saw his baby playing with the snake and was furious. He ran to the brook and dragged his baby away. He scolded him and said, "How could you do this, my son? How could you befriend our enemy? Don't you know that he will betray you and eat you one day? You must never see him again!"
The baby mouse was heartbroken and cried. He said, "But father, he is not my enemy. He is my friend. He has never hurt me or threatened me. He has always been kind and gentle to me. Please, let me see him again!"
The mouse was adamant and said, "No, my son. You must forget him and stay away from him. He is a snake and you are a mouse. You can never be friends."
The same thing happened to the snake. He saw his baby playing with the mouse and was enraged. He slithered to the brook and coiled around his baby. He scolded him and said, "How could you do this, my son? How could you befriend our food? Don't you know that he will starve you and cheat you one day? You must never see him again!"
The baby snake was heartbroken and hissed. He said, "But father, he is not my food. He is my friend. He has never harmed me or lied to me. He has always been generous and honest to me. Please, let me see him again!"
The snake was stubborn and said, "No, my son. You must forget him and stay away from him. He is a mouse and you are a snake. You can never be friends."
The baby mouse and the baby snake were very sad and lonely. They missed each other terribly and longed to see each other again. They decided to run away from their homes and live together in the forest. They packed their belongings and left a note for their parents. They said, "We are sorry, but we cannot live without each other. We love each other and we are happy together. Please, do not look for us or try to stop us. We are friends until the end."
The baby mouse and the baby snake ran away from their homes and searched for a new place to live. They found a hollow tree in the middle of the forest and made it their home. They decorated it with flowers and leaves and made it cozy and comfortable. They shared everything they had and were very happy.
They lived in peace and harmony for many days. They explored the forest and discovered new things. They met other animals and made new friends. They helped each other and learned from each other. They laughed and sang and danced together. They were the happiest creatures in the world.
But their happiness did not last long. A hunter came to the forest and saw the hollow tree. He thought there might be some animals inside. He wanted to catch them and sell them for money. He set fire to the tree and waited for the animals to come out. He did not know that the baby mouse and the baby snake were inside.
The baby mouse and the baby snake saw the fire and were terrified. They tried to escape, but the fire was too strong. They could not find a way out. They realized that they were going to die. They hugged each other and said, "We are friends until the end. We love each other and we are happy together. Nothing can change that. Nothing can break our friendship."
They died together in the fire, holding each other in their arms.
The hunter saw the mouse and the snake in the ashes. He was surprised and said, "How strange! A mouse and a snake living together as friends! They must have loved each other very much." He felt sorry for them and buried them in the same grave.
The moral of the story is that friendship is stronger than enmity, and love can overcome all obstacles.
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