Story:
Once upon a time, in a dense forest, there was a mighty lion who was the king of all the animals. The lion was very powerful, but he had a problem: he was very hungry and wanted to eat all the animals in the forest.
The animals, terrified of the lion, went to him and begged for mercy. They said, “Oh King Lion, please spare us! We will send you one animal every day as your meal.” The lion agreed to this arrangement, and the animals were relieved.
One day, it was the turn of a clever rabbit to be the lion’s meal. The rabbit was very clever and knew he had to think quickly to save his life. So, he went to the lion and said, “Oh mighty Lion, I would like to tell you something important. There is another lion in the forest who is trying to take over your kingdom. He is very powerful and dangerous.”
The lion, who was already quite proud and easily provoked, was furious. He roared and asked, “Where is this lion?”
The clever rabbit led the lion to a deep well. He told the lion, “The other lion is in this well. Look down and you will see him.”
The lion peered into the well and saw his own reflection in the water. Mistaking it for another lion, he roared at the reflection. The reflection roared back. Enraged and thinking that the other lion was challenging him, the lion jumped into the well to fight him.
The lion struggled in the water and drowned. The clever rabbit escaped back to the forest, and the other animals were overjoyed. The clever rabbit’s quick thinking had saved not only his life but also the lives of all the animals in the forest.
Moral of the Story:
The story teaches that “Intelligence and quick thinking can be more powerful than brute strength.” It highlights the value of wit and wisdom in overcoming challenges and adversaries.
The Panchatantra, written by Vishnu Sharma, is a collection of fables that use animals to convey moral lessons, and this story is a classic example of how cleverness and ingenuity can triumph over strength.