Tag Archives: THE BLACK SNAKE AND THE MONGOOSE

46. THE FOOLISH HERON, THE BLACK SNAKE AND THE MONGOOSE

In a jungle there was a huge Banyan tree. A number of herons had built their nests in it. Now in the hollow of the tree lived a black snake. He used to eat up the heron’s young, before their wings had sprouted. One heron, whose children had been eaten by the snake, came to the bank of the river nearby with tears in his eyes. A crab saw him and asked, ‘Uncle! Why are you crying?’

‘What can I do?’ said the heron, ‘I am so unlucky that all my children have been eaten up by the snake, who lives in the hollow of the tree. I’m crying because I am heart-broken. Tell me how could I kill the black snake?