The Clever Jackal

Once upon a time, there lived a jackal in a dense forest. He was very clever. One day, while he was wandering in search of food, he came across a dead elephant. He wanted to eat its flesh, but his teeth were not strong enough to cut through the tough hide of the elephant. So, he waited patiently for someone to come around.

Soon, a lion came there. The jackal said to him, "Your Majesty, please have a taste of the elephant. I have been guarding it for you only."

"I eat only fresh animals, not the stale ones," said the lion and went on his way.

The jackal heaved a sigh of relief. He had still the full dead body of the elephant intact in his possession.

Next, there came a tiger. He thought to himself that the tiger might eat up the whole elephant. So, he said to the tiger, "A hunter has killed this elephant with a poisoned arrow. Whosoever eats its flesh would die due to food poisoning. I'm guarding it to save the life of others." The tiger got frightened and went away

As soon as the tiger went away there came two vultures. They sat over the dead body of the elephant. The clever jackal did not want them to eat the elephant. So he said to them, "I've hunted this elephant and have sold its skin to two hunters. If they ever see you eating the elephant, they'll kill both of you."

The vultures became frightened and immediately flew away. But the jackal still looked for someone who would cut the tough hide of the elephant to make it easy for him to eat its flesh.

At last, there came a leopard. The jackal knew that the leopard had a sharp teeth. He could cut through the elephant's hide. He said to him, "Friend, you seem to be hungry. Why not take a bite on the elephant. It has been killed by a lion. He has gone home to bring his family. When I see him arriving, I'll make a warning sign and then you can run away."

The leopard agreed. He immediately sat down to cut open the elephant's hide. As soon as the jackal saw that leopard had cut through the elephant's hide and was about to eat its flesh, he shouted, "There comes the lion." The leopard sprang up on its feet and quickly disappeared into the forest.

The jackal happily enjoyed the flesh of the elephant for many days together.

Moral : A clever person uses his words to get things done

The foolish Jackal

Once upon a time there lived two big bulls in a village. The village was situated near a thick forest. Once on some issue the bulls began fighting fiercely on the outskirts of the village. They would keep their horns locked with each other for hours together. Then, they would walk back a little and again run into each other dashing their heads together. They engaged themselves in such a fierce fighting that they badly injured themselves and soon blood started oozing from their heads. But they didn't stop fighting.

A jackal, who had been watching this bloody fight throughout from behind the thick bushes, saw the blood of the bulls dropping on to the ground. He came out of the bushes to lick it.
Without a second thought, the jackal made his way between those two bulls and started licking the blood.

While he was still busy licking the blood happily, the bulls again retracted themselves to a few steps and then rammed fiercely into each other. They dashed their heads together. The poor jackal got crushed between their heads. His stomach burst with a loud noise and he died instantaneously.

Moral : Greed and lack of self control cause harm.

The Stag and his Antlers

Once upon a time, there lived a stag in a dense forest. One day, he went to a nearby lake to quench his thirst. There he saw his reflection in the water and thought to himself, I've got beautiful antlers, but my legs are ugly. I can't understand, why God has given me such thin legs.
Just then, he heard a lion roaring at a short distance. The stag knew that if he stayed there, the lion will kill him. So he started running. The lion too started chasing the stag.

The stag ran faster and faster and soon he outdistanced the lion. But alas! all of a sudden, the antlers of the stag got entangled with the overhanging branches. of a tree. The stag struggled hard, but could not free his antlers from the branches. He thought to himself, 'My thin legs helped me get away from the danger, but my antlers proved dangerous for me.’

By that time the lion had already reached there. He pounced upon the stag and killed him.

Moral : Beauty is not everything. Utility is also important

The Monkey And The Wedge

A temple was once being built in a garden. Many masons and carpenters were working on building the temple. They took time off every day to go to the town for their lunch. One day a carpenter was sawing a huge log to cut it into two parts.

A temple was once being built in a garden. Many masons and carpenters were working on building the temple. They took time off every day to go to the town for their lunch. One day a carpenter was sawing a huge log to cut it into two parts. Just then the bell rang for the lunch break. The carpenter pushed a wedge into the split portion of the half sawed log and went to take his lunch, along with other workers

When the workers left for lunch a batch of monkeys landed at the temple site and began playing with whatever caught their fancy. One of the monkeys, who was very curious about all those things, went round the half sawed log and sat on top of it. He spread his legs on both sides of the log, whereas his tail dangled through the split portion.

Curious to know what it is, the monkey started prying the wedge out of the log with his hands. Suddenly, the wedge came out. The split parts of the log firmly snapped shut together crushing the monkeys tail in between. The monkey cried in pain and jumped off the log, but his tail was cut off forever.

Moral : Careless Curiosity is dangerous

The cunning Jackal and a foolish Donkey

Once there lived a foolish donkey in a town near a forest. There, in the forest lived king lion and his friend, a cunning Jackal. The Jackal used to feast on the leftovers after the lion ate. Once, lion was badly wounded in a fierce fighting with an elephant.

He was unable to hunt and was starving. So he asked his friend, the Jackal to bring some meal for him. The jackal set out to search for food. While wandering here and there, the jackal met a donkey. The donkey looked foolish and nervous. The jackal asked him, "Hello! There... You seem to be new around here. Where do you come from?" "I come from the nearby town", said the donkey. "My master, the Washerman makes me work all day, but doesn't feed me properly. So I ran away from him." "Alright", said the jackal. "I'm the chief minister to the ruler of this forest kingdom and our king needs a bodyguard, who has the experience of working with a washerman. You can live in the palace and eat as much as you want " The donkey believed every word the jackal said and went with him to the royal palace. The king lion pounced on the donkey as soon as he saw him . But on account of starving several days, the king lion became weak. He couldn't kill the donkey. The donkey freed himself and ran for his life.

The Jackal said to the lion “ You should have been more patient – you scared away the donkey, what will you eat now ?”"I'm sorry," said lion. "Can you bring him here to me again."

The jackal went again to the donkey and said to him, "What a funny fellow you are. Why did you run away like that?" "Why shouldn't I' asked the donkey. "My dear," said the jackal, "you were being tested for your alertness as a royal bodyguard of the king. Thank god, you showed a quick reflex, otherwise, you would have been rejected for the job." The donkey believed what the jackal said and accompanied him once again to the lion’s den. There the lion was hiding behind the bushes. As soon as the donkey passed by the bushes, the lion pounced upon him and killed him instantly. Just when the lion was about to begin eating the donkey, the jacakal said, "Your Majesty, you're going to have your meals after quite a few days. It's better you first take a bath and offer prayers."

The lion went to take bath and offer his prayers. In the mean time, the jacakl ate the donkey's brain. When the lion came back to eat his prey, he was surprised to see that the donkey's brain was missing. "Where is this donkey's brain?" The lion roared in great anger. "The donkey's brain!" the jackal expressed his surprise. "Your Majesty, you're fully aware that donkeys don't have a brain. Had that donkey ever had a brain, he would never have come with me to your den for the second time." "Yes," agreed lion, "that's a good point." And he started eating happily the rest of the flesh of the dead donkey.

Moral : Never trust strangers that make sweet offers

The Mongoose and the baby in the cradle

Once upon a time, there lived a poor Brahmin with his wife in a small village. They had a son born to them. The Brahmin's wife had a mongoose as her pet. The mongoose was very playful. He used to guard the Brahmin's house and also looked after the baby, while it slept in the cradle.

One day, The Brahmin went out on some work. His wife had also gone to fetch water from the well situated on the outskirts of the village leaving the baby all alone in the house. The mongoose sat beside the cradle guarding the baby. Suddenly, he saw a big black snake crawling towards the cradle. Being a natural enemy of snakes and also having the responsibility of guarding the baby, he pounced upon the snake. After a fierce fighting with the snake the mongoose killed it. But the mouth and paws of the mongoose were smeared with the snake's blood. The mongoose was happy that he had done his duty faithfully and had saved the baby from the snake. He sat at the main entrance of the house.

After sometime, the Brahmin's wife came along with the water pitcher on her head. She saw the paws and mouth of the mongoose smeared in blood. She thought that the mongoose had killed her baby. In a fit of rage, she threw the heavy water pitcher on the head of the mongoose. The mongoose died on the spot. The Brahmin'os wife now went running inside the house. There she saw a big black snake lying dead. The baby was sleeping safe in the cradle. Then she realized that she was greatly mistaken, and the mongoose had, in fact, saved her child. She had killed her faithful pet without knowing what had really happened. She cried and cried for her pet but it is too late.

Moral ; Never jump to hasty conclusions.

The Crow and a Cobra

Once upon a time, there lived a pair of crows with their young ones on a huge tree. And at the root of the tree there lived a cobra in a deep hole. Every time the crows laid their eggs, the serpent crept up the tree and ate all the eggs and the young ones. This made the crows very sad and grief stricken. They didn't know how to get rid of the killer serpent and save their young.

One day, the crows went to their friend fox and told him of their problem and asked him as to how they can get rid of the serpent.

The fox said "Go to the king's palace and go the swimming pool in the palace. The queen, while swimming always removes all her ornaments and keeps them on a tray kept by the side of the pool. While she is busy swimming, you two pick up two diamond ornaments from the tray. Drop them into the serpent's hole. The servants of the queen will come chasing you and finding the ornaments in the serpent's hole, they will first kill the serpent and then take the ornaments out of the hole. Thus, the serpent will be killed and you will be safe.

The crows liked the idea. They flew to the king's palace. There they saw the queen in the swimming pool. She had removed her ornaments and kept them in a tray. The crows swooped down upon the tray, picked up two diamond necklaces from it and flew towards the snake's hole . The guards ran after the crows brandishing their sticks and swords. They chased the crows and soon reached the huge tree, where the big snake lived. They saw the crows dropping the diamond necklaces inside the serpent's hole. They first killed the snake by sticks and swords and then took out the ornaments and returned to the palace.

The crows thanked the fox for his idea and lived happily ever after.

Moral : You can overcome even the most grave and persistent dangers by using your brain power.