The Mouse and the Jar of Oat Grains

Once upon a time, there was a mouse.

He came across a jar full of oat grain. He couldn’t believe his luck, so he hopped up on top of the jar and started eating.

He was like the proverbial ‘pig in shit’, except that he was a ‘mouse in grain!’

He was so happy and relieved that he didn’t have to spend his time racing around from here to there trying to find food. He felt his life was content. He leaned back and stuffed himself with grain. He avoided the dark bits since he had already eaten them once. 😉😉

He was so focused on the abundant food supply that he didn’t notice that the more he ate, the lower in the jar he got.

After a few days, he hit the bottom of the jar.

That’s when he realized that he had trapped himself. His life no longer looked so good, especially with a huge cat approaching him. He suddenly felt his life was over.

The huge cat was clearly looking to eat him while he was trapped in a jar that no longer had any food but was full of mouse feces. He was too fat to run even if he could escape when the cat knocked over the jar. His legs didn’t work well anymore.

Alas, poor mouse!

Lessons learned from the overzealous mouse.

#1: Short-term pleasures can lead to long-term traps. It is important to balance the good and the bad in life. Caring about the future can save your life even when today is great.

#2: If things seem too good to be true, they probably are. Seldom in life are you offered everything you need on a platter. Most people have earned everything they have in some way, shape, or form.

Very few things in life come easily; if they do, they may not be worth it in the long run. The mouse found a lot of food. But he didn’t think about how to eat it wisely. He didn’t think that if he wasn’t careful, it could cause problems.

Many people, for example, see a windfall, an inheritance, or a big win from gambling as an answer to all their prayers. In many cases, it changes their lives completely. Once the money is gone, they feel stranded and don’t know how to regain their lives.

#3: When you are not using your natural skills, you lose more than just your skills. You also lose your choices and your freedom.

If you have been exercising regularly and then stop, it may take a while to get back into your routine. You will need to retrain your muscles to move properly again.

In the case of the mouse, he had quickly lost his ability and skills to outrun the cat. First, he was disoriented from his time in the jar, and then he became so fat that he couldn’t run.

If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Many scammers rely on this factor: offering something for free or at a low price.

Had the mouse realized this, he may still be around.

Till next time,

Calvin

[Copyright © March 5 2025_ Calvin London]