Once upon a time, in the land of Mocita, the king had a herd of elephants, among which there was a little white one that had peculiarly soft, sleek skin, as if it were wrapped in a white woolen blanket. The little elephant was bright and intelligent, so the king consigned it to the special care of a mahout (trainer). The mahout took good care of the animal as it grew up and even taught it to understand human speech.

One day, a large celebration was to be held in the country. The king wanted to parade through the streets on the back of the white elephant. The mahout gave the animal a good bath, adorned it with beautiful ornaments, and covered its back with a pure white blanket so that the king could have a comfortable ride.

When the king rode the elephant out of his palace, the people, thrilled to see His Royal Majesty and the rare white elephant, crowded around them. "Look at the white elephant," the people exclaimed. "Its trunk, legs, back and neck.... Gorgeous!" Then they cheered, "King of the Elephants! King of the Elephants!"

As all the people admired the elephant, the king grew more and more angry. He should have been the center of attention, but now this elephant was stealing the show! Jealousy flared up in his heart. After only a short ride, he hurried back to the palace and summoned the mahout.

The king asked, "Does the elephant have any special skills?"

The mahout answered respectfully, "What kind of skills do you mean, Your Majesty?"

"Can the elephant do stunts on a cliff or on the top of a mountain? I want to see it put on a performance tomorrow."

On the following day, the mahout brought the elephant to the place appointed by the king--a precipitous cliff on the highest mountain in Mocita. The king asked, "Can the elephant stand on three legs?"

"That's easy," the mahout answered. The elephant lifted one of his legs.

The king demanded again, "Can it stand on two legs?"

The mahout answered, "Of course, Your Majesty." The white elephant obeyed the mahout's instruction and lifted up two legs.

"Now let us see if it can stand on one leg," the king ordered.

The trainer now realized what the king really wanted--he wanted the elephant to die. He warned the elephant, "Now lift three legs and stand on one leg, but be very, very careful."

The white elephant cautiously did so. Seeing this, the king's face went as dark as the sky before a storm. He knew that he would have to find some other way to get rid of this elephant.

When they got back to the palace, the mahout whispered to the elephant, "Obviously, the king wants your life. We can't stay here any longer. Let's get away tonight."

That night, the mahout and his beloved white elephant fled the palace. They hurried on their way without stopping until they reached a neighboring kingdom called Polona.

There they were warmly welcomed by the people, who were fascinated by the beautiful white elephant. When the king of Polona heard about the arrival of the elephant, he ran from his palace to see it. He stroked the animal's soft, smooth skin and asked the mahout, "Where are you from, and why did you come to my country?"

The mahout told him the whole story. The king sighed and said, "Human beings should be the wisest among all creatures, and yet the king of your country was so jealous that he even wanted to put this great elephant to death."

The good king then invited the mahout and the elephant to live in his palace and made sure they were well cared for.

Our attitudes decide whether our lives can be happy and whether the world can be peaceful. Only when we stop arguing and instead try to get along well with others is it possible for us to have happiness and peace of mind. We should rejoice over the success of others and praise them for their achievements, and not let our minds be filled with aggravation and jealousy.