The Heart of a Mouse
A Zen Koan.
A sorcerer once found a mouse living in his garage.
He noticed the mouse was living in constant fear from the cat.
He took pity on the poor mouse and turned him into a cat to free him from his distress.
It soon became apparent that the cat was now living in fear of the dog — so he turned it into a dog.
The dog began to quiver at the thought of the mighty bear — so the sorcerer turned him into a bear.
The bear was still living in fear — distressed at the thought of the hunter.
The sorcerer looked down at him with pity in his eyes — "there is nothing I can do to help you because you have the heart of a mouse.”
The sorcerer then turned him back into a mouse, turned off the lights, and went inside to make dinner.