Years ago, there was a kingdom near the Varun mountain where a large snake named Mandavish lived. Being old, he couldn’t easily find his prey. One day, he came up with a plan. He immediately went to a pond filled with frogs.
There, feeling sad, he sat on a stone. Suddenly, a frog sitting on a nearby stone noticed him. After a while, the frog asked the snake, “Uncle, what’s wrong? Aren’t you looking for food today? Won’t you gather food for yourself?” Upon hearing this, the snake made a sad face and narrated a story to the frog.
The snake said, “Today, while searching for food, I was following a frog. Suddenly, I mistakenly bit a Brahmin’s daughter while trying to prepare my meal, causing her death. Angry, the Brahmin cursed me. He said that to fill my stomach, I’ll have to become a frog’s ride. That’s why I came to this pond.”
Upon hearing this, the frog immediately went inside the pond and told everything to their king, the Frog King. The king was astonished and initially found it hard to believe. However, after some thinking, the Frog King came out of the pond and immediately jumped on the snake’s hood. Seeing this, the other frogs also did the same.
The snake understood that the frogs were testing him. Without being disturbed, the snake allowed everyone to ride on its hood and took them around. After winning the trust of the Frog King, gradually, the snake started giving rides to frogs every day. After a few days, the clever snake slowed down its pace.
Seeing this, the Frog King, riding on the snake, asked, “Why is your movement so slow?” In response, the snake said, “I’m old and hungry for many days due to the Brahmin’s curse. That’s why my speed has reduced.” Upon hearing this, the Frog King told the snake to eat small frogs. Initially hesitant, the snake agreed upon the king’s command and started eating small frogs daily, regaining its health.
Now, the snake was getting food every day without any effort. The snake was very pleased. The frog king couldn’t understand the snake’s strategy until then. The Frog King was also not alert to the snake’s plan. Eventually, one day, the snake ate the Frog King and destroyed the entire lineage of frogs living in the pond.
Lesson from the story: One should not quickly trust the words of any enemy. It is certain to cause harm to oneself and one’s people.
