In olden times, there
was a hermit named Vedananda.
He had his hermitage on the bank of the Ganges River. He lived there along
with his pupils. The hermit possessed deep occult powers. He worked miracles
of various types. One could hear of them from almost any and every person
of that area. One day, hermit Vedananda was meditating under his
hut. 
A
flying hawk happened to pass over him. It had a small mouse in his claws.
By chance, the hawk lost its grip
on the mouse which fell down in the hermit’s lap. “ Good heavens!” uttered
the hermit as his concentration was disturbed. He opened his eyes and found
a small mouse in his lap. He was moved with pity for the tiny animal
and changed it into a lovely baby-girl by dint of his miraculous power.
Taking the girl into his arms, the hermit went to his wife Mandakini and
said, “ Darling! you are desirous of having a child. Here I have a baby–girl
for you. 
Bring
her up and discharge the duty of a mother.”
“ Don’t worry, dear! I shall
look after her as my own daughter,” replied Mandakini who was overjoyed
to have the baby-girl. She named her Kanta. Well looked after by the hermit’s
wife, Kanta began to grow up gradually. After a few years,she was a charming
lass of sixteen years. The hermit’s wife could well see that Kanta was
now marriageable. So, she said to her husband, “Our daughter has considerably
grown up. We must find a suitable match for her.” After hearing that, the
hermit invoked the Sun–god to come and accept the hand of his daughter.
After the hermit’s invocation, the Sun god appeared immediately. The Hermit
said, “My charming daughter is marriageable. Make her your wife,
sir,” requested the hermit. 
Kanta
was standing near by at that time. Seeing the fiery face of the Sun-god,
she felt frightened and said, “No, daddy ! I won’t marry him. He
is so hot that even hard rocks tend to melt under his heat. He will
reduce me to ashes.” The hermit felt hurt at what his daughter had
said. But what could he do when she herself was not willing to marry
the Sun-god ? So, he said to the god, “Could you suggest for her a suitor
who is superior to you even ?” “Why not, sir; the Cloud is certainly more
powerful than I. He has the capacity to block
my rays and thus diminish my light. You had better open negotiations with
him.” Saying so, the Sun-god returned to his abode. Now the hermit
invoked the Cloud who descended on earth and, coming towards the hermit,
he said, “What made you remember me, Your Holiness?” “My daughter
is the most beautiful damsel of the day. I want to give her hand
to you. Please accept her as your bride,” replied the hermit. 
Before the Cloud could give any reply, Kanta intervened saying, “Daddy,
I won’t marry him. His dark body and dreadful demon-like thunder
are despicable indeed. Look for some other match for me.” Hermit
Vedanand felt very sad and said to the Cloud, “Suggest some suitable match
for this girl, sir.” “I think the Wind-god is the most suitable match
for your charming daughter. He is so powerful that he carries even
me wherever he goes. You must talk to him.” Saying so, the Cloud
flew up. The hermit now invoked the Wind-god and requested him to
marry his daughter Kanta. Hearing her father’s words, Kanta flew
into a rage and screamed, “Wait, daddy! I am not al all ready to have this
wanderer as my husband!” Feeling hurt
at his daughter’s behavior, the hermit said to the Wind-god, “Sir, I am
so very ashamed of the rude behavior of my daughter. Be kind enough
to suggest another suitable match for her.” “The Mountain is sure to prove
the most suitable match for your daughter, O hermit You had better 
talk to him.” So saying, the Wind-god disappeared from there. Now the hermit
invoked the Mountain and said, “Sir, you are the highest and the greatest
in the world. I want to give you my daughter in marriage.”
But Kanta burst out contemptuously, “ I would never marry this stone-hearted
fellow, daddy. I want a kind-hearted husband even if he is tiny in
size.” “Excuse me, sir! I troubled you for nothing,” said hermit Vedanand
to the Mountain. “Don’t lose heart,
O hermit. There is only one creature stronger than I and that is
the Mouse who can even dig holes in me. I think he is the most suitable
match for your charming girl.” And saying so, the Mountain left the place.
The hermit sent for the Mouse to negotiate his daughter’s marriage to him.
The Mouse came running to the saint’s hut. As soon as Kanta saw him,
she jumped up in joy and said, “Daddy! he is the match I was 
looking
for. I am ready to marry him.” The hermit smiled and said, “It is
true, my daughter, that I changed you from a mouse into a girl by dint
of my miraculous power. But I failed to change your lot which is
destined by the Almighty. It is his will and we must bow to it.”
Saying so, the hermit changed Kanta into a mouse again and performed her
marriage to the Mouse.” The couple lived happily ever after in a
hole near the hermit's hut.
Moral – Change of form cannot
change one’s lot. Fate is unchangeable and it is no use challenging
it. What is to be, must be. None should be blamed for it.
