Once upon a time, there were two fish and a frog living together in a pond. The names of the fish were Shatbuddhi and Sahasrabuddhi. The frog was named Ekabuddhi. While the fish were proud of their intelligence, the frog, despite being clever, never boasted about it. Despite their differences, the three of them were good friends, roaming together in the pond and always staying together.
Whenever a problem arose, the three of them would work together to solve it. One day, they saw fishermen approaching the pond from the riverbank. Observing that the pond was filled with fish, the fishermen said, “We will come here tomorrow morning and catch a lot of fish.” Ekabuddhi, the frog, overheard their conversation.
He went to his friends to warn them about the impending danger. Ekabuddhi told Shatbuddhi and Sahasrabuddhi everything the fishermen had said. Despite Ekabuddhi’s warning, Shatbuddhi and Sahasrabuddhi were confident in their intelligence and replied, “We cannot leave our ancestors’ place just because of fear of the fishermen.” They added, “We don’t need to be afraid; we have the intelligence to save ourselves.”
Ekabuddhi, however, was determined to protect the lives of his friends. He said, “I know of another pond nearby where we can hide.” But none of the other pond inhabitants were willing to go with Ekabuddhi, as everyone trusted Shatbuddhi and Sahasrabuddhi to save them all.
Ekabuddhi decided to take action alone. That night, he went with his wife to another pond. Shatbuddhi and Sahasrabuddhi laughed at Ekabuddhi’s actions. The next morning, the fishermen arrived with their nets and set them in the pond. All the creatures in the pond tried to escape, but the large net of the fishermen made it impossible for anyone to survive. Shatbuddhi and Sahasrabuddhi, too, were caught in the net along with the other fish.
When they were brought out of the pond, it was too late for Shatbuddhi and Sahasrabuddhi. Their large size made them an easy target, and they couldn’t escape the fishermen’s clutches. Ekabuddhi’s wife, seeing the condition of Shatbuddhi and Sahasrabuddhi, felt deep sorrow. She remarked, “If only they had listened to Ekabuddhi and followed him, they would be alive today.”
The lesson from the story is that one should never be arrogant about one’s intelligence. Such arrogance can be fatal.
