Long ago, there was a poor farmer who lived alone in a village. He once had a wife and two children

But they died, likely from a disease outbreak. Back then, there were no doctors, health clinics, or modern medicines like today.

As the farmer grew older, he felt lonely. To overcome his loneliness, he invited three friends to live and work with him. These friends were three animals; a mouse, a dog, and a cat.

The four lived peacefully in the farmer’s hut. It is said that in those days, animals could understand human language and converse with the farmer. Every day, the farmer worked to earn a living, and they all ate together.

One day, the farmer fell seriously ill and could not get out of bed. His three animal friends felt his suffering. They stayed near his bed and asked what they could do to help

The farmer explained that they could save him by fetching medicine-dried leaves and roots stored in a small bamboo basket. The basket was in an old building across the river, beside an old shelf in the back room.

The three friends set off calmly. But when they reached the river, they stopped. There was no bridge or path to cross. They looked at each other, confused. After discussing, they made a plan

The dog would swim across the river, the cat would sit on the dog's back, and the mouse, being the smallest, would sit on the cat's neck

They hurried to the old building where the medicine was kept

But when they arrived, they found the back room tightly closed. This was another challenge.

The cat suggested standing on the dog's back to jump to a ventilation hole. But only the mouse could fit through the hole to enter the room. So, the mouse held onto the cat's neck as the cat jumped from the dog's back. The jump worked, and the mouse entered the room.

It was very dark inside, but the mouse easily found the old shelf with the medicine basket.

One by one, the mouse passed the basket's contents to the cat waiting outside. The cat then passed them to the dog waiting below.

After finishing, the three friends happily rushed back to the farmer's hut.

With the medicine, the farmer slowly recovered and could work in his fields again

But then, a big argument broke out among the three friends. They fought over who deserved the most credit for getting the medicine.