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Articles: Moral Stories | Panchatantra stories
- Mr. Siri Siri
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LION AND THE HARE
A lion named Bhasurak lived in a forest. Daily it would kill many animals without a reason. All the animals were scared of the lion.
They devised a plan to save their lives and accordingly approached the lion and said-
'Every day, you unnecessarily kill numerous animals. One animal a day is enough to satisfy your hunger. If the killings continue like this, the forest would soon be devoid of animals. So, we have decided that everyday one of us would voluntarily come to you to be your food. This way you would be able to have your food without making any effort.'
Bhasurak agreed but warned them-
'The day an animal fails to reach me, I would kill all of you.'
Since that day, one animal went to the lion everyday. The lion used to kill and devour that animal.
One day it was the turn of a small hare. The thought of an imminent death had frightened it. It proceeded towards the lion, as it had no choice. He was walking very slowly with heavy feet.
In the way he saw a well. He peeped in it and saw his reflection on the water. An idea flashed in his mind. He made a plan to meet the lion very late in the evening. When Bhasurak saw the hare he asked furiously.
'Why are you so late?'
According to its plan, the hare narrated an imaginary story-
'Lord! Since I am a very small animal. I thought that only eating me would not satisfy your hunger. Hence four other hares had also accompanied me. We were feeling proud that at last, our lives would be able to serve you. But in the way, we met a lion, which said that 'he' was the king of this forest. When we told him that we were getting late, as we have to reach 'you', he started abusing you. After our repeated request, he allowed me to come here with an instruction that you must accept his supremacy.'
Bhasurak's anger crossed all limits. He said-
'Tell me where does he live?'
The hare took him right to that well and told him that the challenger lived in it. When the lion peeped in the well, he saw his own reflection in the water. Mistaking it for another lion, Bhasurak let out a loud roar. The roar echoed from the well. Bhasurak thought that his challenger was roaring in reply to his roar. Now, the temper of Bhasurak shot high and in the next moment, he jumped into the well. Then he never returned. So a work, which is done applying intelligence is more fruitful than work done only with strength alone.
Damanak continued- 'If you permit me, I can create friction between both of them.'
Kartak permitted him to go, wishing him good luck.
Damanak then reached the place where Pingalak was staying separately from Sanjeevak. Greeting Pingalak, Damanak sat beside him quietly.
Pingalak asked him where he had been all those days. Damanak said-
'Sir, I did not meet you all those days as there was no specific purpose, but the prospect of you losing your kingdom has forced me to come here again.'
Pingalak could not understand what exactly Damanak meant. He asked Damanak to elaborate his point.
Damanak said -
'Lord! Sanjeevak is jealous of you. He has revealed to me about his plan to kill you. He wants to become the king. He has also offered me the post of a minister.'
Pingalak was disturbed to know all that but still he did not believe completely in Damanak’s words.
Damanak then convinced him with his deceitful statements, but still Pingalak said-
'Even if Sanjeevak keeps enemity towards me, I won't fall to his level.'
Damanak finding Pingalak influenced by his words said-
'Forgiving an enemy is not a sound policy. Moreover, you are not a vegetarian. How then can you have a long lasting friendship with a vegetarian? Sanjeevak has not only destroyed your qualities but also deviated you from your path. Your conduct should be in the same manner as that of water. A drop of water fallen on a hot iron evaporates but the same water looks beautiful like a pearl if it falls on the leaf of lotus or on a blade of grass. The same water is converted into a pearl if it falls in a shell during the constellation Swati. Therefore, it has been rightly said, that a person is known by the company he keeps. It is also said that one must never take such a person in his refuge whose nature is unknown. A louse did so and was killed because of the fault of a tick.'
Pingalak curiously asked -
'How did it happen?'
Damanak narrated the story of the tick and the louse-
The Bed-Bug A Lice
There lived a louse named Mandavisarpini in the bedsheet on a king's bed. She was passing her days happily sucking the king's blood.
One day a tick named Agnimukh arrived in the king's bedroom. Mandavisarpani sadly asked-
'Where have you arrived from to live in a place which is fit only for me. Go back soon before anybody sees you.'
The tick requested-
'It is improper to turn back even a wicked person, who has arrived at your home as a guest, because this is the duty of a householder and it helps him to attain heavenly abode.'
'Besides this, I have tasted the blood of men from all strata except a king. The blood of the common people tastes sour, sharp or bitter. I know that the blood of a king must be sweet in taste. If you allow me to taste the sweet blood of the king, I would be highly obliged. Moreover all the activities are performed only for the sake of satisfying hunger. Your guest desires food from you. It is not good on your part to taste the king's sweet blood all alone.'
Mandavisarpini, the louse agreed but warned him -
'You mean tick! I suck the king's blood only when he is asleep. You too must do the same.'
Agnimuktha agreed. In the mean time, the king arrived and laid down on the bed.
The impatient tick wanted to taste the king's blood in a hurry. He could not even wait for the king to fall asleep and began to bite him, while he was still awake.
Bitten by the tick, the king got up in pain. He called his attendants and instructed them to find out whether it was tick or a louse, which bit him. As the search began, the tricky tick hurriedly hid between the crevices of the bedstead but the poor, sluggish louse was caught while she was trying to hide within the folds of the bedsheet. The king's attendants killed her at once.
After the completion of the tale, Damanak said to Pingalak-
'Lord, it would be better if Sanjeevak is kept at a distance because it is said that a person who develops intimacy with an outsider, after abandoning his close friends and relatives meets certain death. Just as king, Kakuddroom was killed.'
Curious to know about the story of king Kakuddroom, Pingalak asked-
'How did that happen?'
Damanak then narrated the following story.
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