Buddhist parable. Elephant and Ungrateful Forester

The Elephant and the Ungrateful Forester,
A tale of two paths, as different as can be.
One filled with gratitude, the other with greed,
And a lesson to be learned, for all to see.

In a forest, lived a forester, who took and took,
With no thought for others, his own needs, he'd look.
He hunted the animals, for his own selfish gain,
And never once stopped, to show them any pain.

But the elephant, he saw the forester's true heart,
And knew that he was cruel, right from the start.
And yet, he still showed him kindness every day,
For he knew that this was the Buddhist way.

One day, the forester was lost, in the forest deep,
And the elephant, with a compassionate leap,
Came to the rescue, and helped the man to find,
His way back home, with love and peace of mind.

The forester, he saw it all, but felt no remorse,
And took the elephant for granted, with no real force.
He took what he wanted, without a single thought,
And never once thanked, the elephant he'd brought.

And so, the forester, continued on his path,
Taking and taking, with no aftermath.
But the elephant, he lived in peace and love,
For he knew, that gratitude, was what came from above.

So let us learn, from the Elephant and the Ungrateful Forester,
That gratitude, is a choice, that we can take in hand.
For in the end, it's the love we give,
That makes us truly, truly live.