Category Archives: INDIA
120. The Hare and the Tortoise
A HARE one day ridiculed the short feet and slow pace of the tortoise.
Tortoise replied, laughing:
“Though you be swift as the wind, I will beat you in a race.”
The hare, believing her assertion to be simply impossible, assented to the proposal.
They agreed that the fox should choose the course and fix the goal.
On the day appointed for the race the two started together. The tortoise never for a moment stopped, but went on with a slow but steady pace straight to the end of the course.
The hare, lying down by the wayside, fell fast asleep.
At last waking up, and moving as fast as he could, he saw the tortoise had reached the goal, and was comfortably dozing after her fatigue.
❖ Slow but steady wins the race.
119. TWO FISHES AND A FROG
Long, long ago, there lived two fish and a frog in a pond. The names of the two fish were Shatabuddhi and Sahasrabuddhi. The name of the frog was Ekabuddhi.
One day, when the three friends were talking to each other on the edge of the pond, some fishermen passed by. They were carrying baskets and nets with them. They saw the pond and said to one another, “This pond seems to be full of fish. Let’s come tomorrow and catch them.”
118. TWO FIGHTING RAMS AND A JACKAL
One day , a Sanyasi while going through a jungle, saw two golden rams fightin each other. They rammed into each other until blood oozed out. But still they refused to stop fighting.
Meantime a blood thirsty jachal arrived on the scene and began to lick the blood from the ground. Seeing this, the Sanyasi thought to himself, If he comes in between the two fighting rams, he is sure to get himself killed. Sure enough, craving for blood, the jackal got caught up in their fight. He was hit on the head, fell down and died.
❖ Do not close your eyes to the impending danger due to greed.
117. THE WOLF AND THE LAMB
Long ago, there lived a wolf in a dense forest. The forest was surrounded by hills and gorges. A small river flowed through it.
Once the wolf was drinking water at the head of a stream, when he saw a lamb drinking water from the same source down at some distance. The cunning wolf began to think of an excuse for attacking the gentle lamb and eating him. So he shouted down at the lamb, “How dare you make the water dirty I am drinking?”
