As Srila Prabhupada intimated in his telling of the “punah musika bhava” story (1.5.20, November 30, 1973, Los Angeles) when the conditioned souls make significant advances in material life (for example in technology, sense enjoyment, success, wealth, education, good family) they think of themselves as God. The story is of the mouse who, when he gets promotion to a tiger, desires to eat the sage who promoted him. Yes, this could be a just a story (a fable), but it is repeated to illustrate a point.