Once upon a time in the jungle of Sundarvan, there lived a powerful lion. The lion would go to the riverbank every day for hunting. One day, as the lion was returning from the river, he spotted a jackal on the way. As soon as the lion approached, the jackal lay down at the lion’s feet.
The lion asked, “Hey brother! What are you doing?” The jackal replied, “You are magnificent, the king of the jungle. Make me your servant. I will serve you with complete dedication and loyalty. In return, I will eat whatever is left from your prey.”
The lion agreed to the jackal’s proposal and made him his servant. Now, whenever the lion went hunting, the jackal accompanied him. With time, a strong friendship developed between them. The jackal, feeding on the leftovers from the lion’s prey, grew stronger.
One day, the jackal said to the lion, “Now I am as powerful as you. So, today, I will attack an elephant. When it dies, I will eat its flesh. Whatever is left, you can have.” The lion thought the jackal was joking due to their friendship, but the jackal was becoming overly arrogant.
The jackal climbed a tree and waited for an elephant to pass by. The lion, knowing the strength of an elephant, tried to warn the jackal, but the jackal did not listen. As soon as an elephant walked beneath the tree, the jackal leaped to attack, but he missed his target and fell into the elephant’s legs. The elephant, feeling threatened, trampled the jackal.
Witnessing this, the lion tried to save his friend, but it was too late. The jackal’s arrogance led to his downfall. The lion learned that pride and overconfidence could lead to disastrous consequences.
Moral of the Story: We should never be arrogant, and we should never underestimate our true friends.
