THERE lived a frog king by the name of Gangadatta, in a deep well. His subjects and other relatives too lived in the same well. The relatives had an evil eye on his throne and often created problems for the king frog. In order to disrupt the smooth working of the kingdom, and with a view to cause impediments, they hatched a plan with the connivance of a minister of the kingdom and soon there was a revolt against the king frog. The king frog somehow managed to subdue the revolt, but he was very unhappy. He took a vow to take a revenge and teach them the lesson of their life. One day, he came out of the well with the help of iron chains hanging on the walls of the well. He headed straight towards. the hole of a big serpent, which he had seen earlier.

Keeping himself at a considerably safe distance, king frog called out to the serpent. The serpent was surprised to hear a frog calling him. He came out of the hole.

“I wish to be your friend”, said the king frog.

“But we are born enemies,” replied the serpent. “How’s it possible?”

“I will make it possible. I have a proposal,” said king frog. He spoke to the serpent about his plan and told him that he was bent upon teaching his relatives a lesson. “I want to punish them. I will take you to the well and in the process you can eat them all.”

“Is it a dry well?” asked the serpent.

“There is not much water in it”, said the king frog. “However, you needn’t worry. There is a nice hole in the wall of the well, a little above the water level. You can eat my relative frogs and retire into it to take rest.”

“Okay, lead me to the well. I’ll teach your relatives a lesson”, said the serpent hissing loudly.

The king frog took the serpent to his well and said, “Here live my relatives and rebels. You can eat them all, but please spare my near and dear ones.”

“All right,” said the serpent and entered the well followed by the king frog. There he started eating the frogs, one by one, as and when pointed out by the king frog. Soon all the enemies of the king frog were eaten up by the serpent.

Now it was the turn of the king frog and his family. The serpent said to the king frog, “As you see, I’ve finished all your relatives and rebels. I’ve eaten your disloyal minister also. Now I’ve nothing to eat except you and your family.”

King frog realised his folly. He had befriended his enemy to achieve his own selfish ends and settle his score with his enemies. The king frog felt as if the god of death was in his hot persuit. He, somehow, managed to gather some courage and said to the serpent, “No problem. I’ll visit some other wells and ponds and persuade the frogs living there to resettle themselves in this empty well. Once they are in here, you can feast on them with ease.”

“That’s, good”, the serpent became happy. “Do it soon. I’m hungry.”

Both the king frog and his wife came out of the well and took to their heels, never to return to the same well again.

❖ Never look to an enemy for help.

❖ Do not make friendship with enemies to achieve your own selfish ends and settle your score with your enemies.

❖ Beware of deception from all quarters including your friends.