The elephant used to be very gentle.
How did it become so wild and irritable?

A king once owned an elephant that was strong yet very gentle. The king was very fond of it, and he built a beautiful, comfortable shelter for it.

A gang of robbers liked the quiet, secluded location of the shelter. For several nights, they gathered beside it to talk about the details of committing robberies, such as the most efficient ways to break into houses, how to rob the place and then get away quickly, and how to kill anyone who got in their way.

After hearing so much talk about cruelty and violence, the elephant became very hot-tempered. Whenever someone passed by its shelter, it would grab the passerby with its trunk, lift him off the ground, then throw him back down. When the elephant came across small animals, it would trample them with its giant feet. The big beast seemed to have gone mad.

The elephant keeper hurried to the king to report this extraordinary behavior. After hearing the report, the king became very worried. How did that gentle creature suddenly become so cruel and wild? A wise old minister volunteered to look into the situation.

The minister came to the shelter and found that the elephant was healthy, judging from its normal skin tone and appearance. But why had its nature changed so drastically? He pondered the question. "Has anything unusual happened around the shelter recently?" he asked the elephant keeper. "Yes! Lately a group of people often gathered and talked beside the shelter. I don't know what they were talking about, but they didn't look like nice people." Upon hearing this, the minister nodded and said, "I see."

The minister reported to the king. "The elephant is physically healthy, but its mind has been affected by the words of a group of evil people. In order to restore its good nature, we should invite virtuous people over to talk to it."

The king accepted the minister's suggestion. He invited some upright people to sit outside the elephant shelter and talk about good things. After some time, the elephant gradually calmed down and its gentle nature was restored.

The minds of most common people are not very steadfast. As a result, their thoughts and characters are easily influenced by people and events around them. If we keep company with good people, we can cultivate a good, kind temperament. On the other hand, if we always associate with evil people, our way of thinking will go astray.

In this complex human world, we have to choose our friends carefully and avoid those with bad characters. We must absorb good knowledge and get rid of evil thoughts. We should always remind ourselves to control our thoughts and behave ourselves properly. Then we will not waste our lives drifting aimlessly.