Shiva's Simplicity

[Abhidevananda]

One afternoon Shiva returned home from the cremation ground and said to
his wife, Pa'rvatii: "Please give me some rice."

Pa'rvatii replied: "Well, you are asking for rice, but do you know the
condition of the kitchen? There is no stock of rice today. So how can I
give you rice?"

Shiva said: "Well, if there are no vegetables or other dishes, And if
there is no rice, then give me only rice gruel."

Pa'rvatii said: "When there is no rice, how will I give you rice
gruel?"

Then Shiva said: "Well, what about those grains which I collected as
alms last year? Are they all finished?"

Pa'rvatii answered: "You are talking about your collection of one year
ago. We had a little quantity in stock, but the mouse of your Gan'esha
has eaten them all up!"

Shiva said: "Mice also eat rice? Is that so? Then let me fast today."

Pa'rvatii said: "No need to observe fast. I have already collected some
fruits and roots from the forest. You can eat them."