Good Habits are More Important Than Good Clothes

A jackal lived in a small dark hole in a hillock besides the fields adjoining a village. During the night he would go out in search of food in the nearby forest.  He would follow the large wild animals like leopards, tigers and tigers in the forest. When they killed some animal for their food and left the place after satisfying their hunger, the jackal ate the leftover remains of their prey. At times, when the large animals did not go hunting, the jackal did not get anything to eat and had to go without food for many days.

Near the den of the jackal, a farmer lived in a small hut built in the middle of his field. He had kept a small white dog as his pet. He had built a pretty, small dog house for his pet.  Everyday, in the morning, the farmer took the dog for a walk around the field. In return, he fed the dog with fresh meat and biscuits. Then he tied him in a small doghouse. He cleaned the doghouse daily and kept their bowls full of milk and water for the dog to drink. Sometimes he also gave the dog meat and eggs to eat.

During the night, the dog kept watch on the field. It chased away the intruding animals and thieves. In the course of the day, it slept in his doghouse or in the shade of a tree in the field. 

Peeping out of the hole of his den everyday, the Jackal watched the dog with envy. He thought the dog was very fortunate because he did not have to go anywhere in search of food or water. He also saw that the dog had nice things to eat. The dog was provided with a clean, pretty house to live in, whereas he had to live in his dark, dirty hole. The dog also did not have to clean his house.  The jackal kept worrying about the bad condition of his living. Being small, dark and dirty, his house was very uncomfortable to live in. Unlike the pet of the farmer, he had to run here and there for his food and water.

Since the jackal lived in a dark house, he frequently became sick. Sunrays did not enter his house. In order to keep the atmosphere of the house free of the germs of diseases, sunlight was necessary. The jackal thought that being a pet of the farmer the dog had many advantages over him. The dog did not fall sick because his doghouse got plenty of sunlight. He also did not have to worry about food or water. His master provided it daily.  The jackal wondered why the farmer preferred to keep a dog as his pet and not some other animal like him? His friend Jackals told him that the farmer liked to keep the dog for guarding his fields because the dog was better looking than any other animal. 

The jackal thought, if he could also appear as fair as the dog, the farmer would perhaps take him as a pet. Being a pet he could live comfortably like a dog. Then, like the dog, he could also have nice food to eat, milk to drink and a good place to rest and sleep, whenever he desired.  The Jackal considered himself more qualified than the dog. He thought that he was cleverer than the dog. He could follow tigers and tigers, whereas, the dog was afraid of them. For guarding the fields, he could also stay awake during the night and run fast like a dog.

However, while comparing himself to the dog, the only difference he found was in their appearance. The jackal did not have a white coat like that of the dog. Perhaps the farmer liked to keep the dog as a pet because he looked very clean with his white coat. The jackal’s dark skin made him appear dirty. He thought if somehow, he could also look clean and white like the dog, perhaps the farmer would prefer to keep him as a pet than the dog.

One evening when the dog was moving about alone, the Jackal met him on the way.  The jackal said; “I am your neighbour. I want to become your master’s pet. Could you come to my house and tell me how to do it?  The dog said, “ I am prepared to help you, but I won’t come to your house. It is too dark and dirty. You are not keeping your house clean. Living in a dark and dirty place has made you sick.  It also appears you have not taken a bath since long. The stench of your body is unbearable.  The Jackal said: “But I do not feel any bad odour in my house or body.”

The dog: “You have become used to the odour because you are living with it for a long time. You do not feel the dirty odour of your body because it is always there with you. You are not bathing regularly to clean yourself. From the bad odour of your body, people near you can easily find out that you have not taken a bath for a long time.

Nobody likes to stay close to a person who does not take a bath daily. If one takes a bath daily, the skin remains clean. All dirt accumulated on the skin due to perspiration is removed and there is no bad odour left on the body. Like the growing hair and nails, the skin of the body is also continuously growing. Taking a bath removes the scales of dead skin from the body. It exposes the pores of skin.

The rays of the rising sun have a special quality of keeping all living beings healthy. The early morning rays enter through the many pores in the body and clean the blood of germs of diseases. If you do not take a bath, the pores are closed with dirt and perspiration and your blood does not get purified. That is why it is necessary to get up early in the morning before sunrise and take a bath.

Since you are living in a dirty place, dirt and perspiration is sticking to your body and creating a bad odour. How can I come close to you? I may also become sick in your company. Therefore, first have a bath and then talk to me.”

The Jackal felt very ashamed to hear it. Now he understood why he was becoming sick frequently and why no one wanted to stay close to him. He had very few friends. People were avoiding him because of his dinginess. No one came to his house. He resolved to clean his house and began to take baths daily.  But still he was worried about the dark colour of his skin. He kept on thinking, if somehow he could get a white coat, he could meet the farmer and request him to become his pet.  The jackal decided to talk to his rabbit friend who also had a white coat like that of the dog.  He spoke to the rabbit, “Dear friend! You have a white coat like the coat of the farmer’s dog. Please tell me how can I have a similar coat so that the farmer accepts me as his pet?”

The rabbit said, “Why do you want to look like others? God has given coats of different colours to the beings of this world according to their class, habits and place of living.  The variety of colour also provides beauty to the world.

The sky is blue. The grass is green. Flowers have many colours. The insects, reptiles and animals too have a variety of colours. How beautiful the world looks with so many colours. The colour of their skin saves many animals from their enemies. The green grasshopper can hide in the green grass. The colour of the butterfly saves it from being eaten by the birds and reptiles. Sitting on the leaf of a plant a butterfly looks like a beautiful flower. The skin of the polar bear is white. The animals it hunts for its food cannot see it in the whiteness of snow. Even the colour of the skin of man varies from country to country. There are white people, yellow people, brown and black people. The colour of skin does not make them inferior or superior to others. Each race has its own different living and food habits, but all live happily together, without trying to imitate others.

If jackals had white coats like the dog, they would not be able to hide in the darkness of night and would be killed by tigers and tigers.  The jackal said, “By having a white coat, I will be able to impress the farmer.”

The rabbit said, “It is a wrong notion that you can impress others by wearing good clothes. You are liked or disliked because of your manners, character and qualities. Whatever be the shape, size or colour of your body, people will like to have your company if you have four qualifications.  

The first qualification is your proper understanding of things. You should have sufficient intelligence and knowledge to understand that whatever you think, speak or do is useful for others. To learn it you need not imitate other people. Something in other people, which creates a good impression, may not be good for you .Who would like to have a cow barking like a dog or a dog meowing like a cat as a friend?

The second qualification is courage to perform one’s duty in difficult circumstances. However big or strong the intruder is, a dog does not run away, on seeing a stranger entering his master’s property.

The third qualification is a sense of responsibility. Nobody likes an irresponsible person. A responsible person never ignores duty. The dog carries out its duty of keeping a watch day and night without any regard for personal comfort.

The fourth qualification is honesty.  Honesty means always speaking the truth, never cheating anybody or stealing anything for personal use. You will never find the farmer’s dog stealing food from the kitchen of his master. He eats only what belongs to it. On the other hand, you and your friend jackals are in the habit of stealing meat leftover by other animals.

The Jackal said, “Even if I had these qualifications, the farmer won’t accept me as a pet because of my dark skin.”

The rabbit said, “The farmer does not keep the dog as his pet simply because it has a white coat. He likes the dog because he is intelligent, useful, courageous, responsible and honest in his work. The dog is very obedient, faithful and guards his house and field. The farmer would not like to keep a jackal like you because you are neither intelligent, useful, courageous, faithful, honest nor hard working.  If you become helpful to others, everyone will like your company. Otherwise not.  You should learn good habits like hard work and faithfulness like the dog. The colour of your skin does not matter.”

However, the Jackal was very foolish and obstinate. He considered himself very intelligent. He thought that he was always right. He liked to follow the advice of only those animals that flattered him.  People befool the person who is fond of flattery. They flatter for their own selfish interests. 

A fox always praised Jackal for whatever he did. Although the fox flattered the jackal only for getting morsels of meat from him, the jackal thought that the fox was his friend. He thought that he could get the right advice from the fox. Persons, who like flattery, seek the advice of flatterers.  The jackal went to the fox for advice.

The fox was also a big liar. Everyone in the forest knew that the fox had the habit of exaggerating things. Speaking truth means describing things exactly as they are. Exaggeration also means telling a lie. One should not believe a person who exaggerates things. Company of such persons should be avoided. Those who have a habit of exaggerating, never tell the truth.

On meeting the fox, the jackal said, “Dear friend! I want to work for the farmer, but he won’t accept me because of my dark skin. Could you tell me a way to make me as fair as the white dog of the farmer?”

The fox bragged, “It is very simple to have a white coat. I change my coat every day according to my necessity. When I go to meet the swan in the pond, I wear a white coat. In the company of tigers I wear a yellow coat. With the parrots, I move, wearing a green coat. ” The jackal asked, “How do you change the colour of your skin?” 

The fox lied, “I have a painter as my friend. He paints me the way I require. When the painter is not available, I apply the paint myself on my skin. However, for a white coat I use cotton and glue. It gives the beautiful appearance of skin with fur.” 

The jackal was a fool. Though everyone in the forest knew that the fox was a liar and fond of exaggerating things, the jackal believed that the fox was speaking the truth.

He asked the fox, “ Tell me how can I use the cotton and glue to have a white coat on my skin?”  The jackal said, “ It is very simple. Spill a bottle of paste. First roll your body in the paste and then in cotton. The white cotton will stick to your skin and it would appear as though you had a white skin with thick fur.”  The foolish Jackal did the same. With his new coat of white cotton sticking on his body he again went to meet the dog.

He said, “Look. I am taking a bath everyday. I am also cleaning my house everyday. I have also got a new white coat like you. Could you now teach me how to guard the fields so that I may ask your master to employ me as a pet?”  The dog was impressed to see the change in the Jackal. He agreed to teach the jackal. They began to take rounds of the field together.

After some days, the dog invited other dogs from the neighbourhood for dinner. The Jackal too requested him to take him to the party.  The dog said, “Dogs do not like the company of other animals. Though you look like a dog, you do not know how to bark. You cannot join us. When you speak, my friend dogs will find out that you are not one of us.  But the dog insisted. He was too eager to join the company of dogs and show his new fur.

He said, “ I wouldn’t speak a word during the party. I will keep my mouth shut.”   He went to attend the dinner with the dogs.  When they were enjoying their meals, it suddenly began to rain. The cotton on the skin of the Jackal was washed away exposing his dark skin.  When the dogs saw the true colour of the jackal, they became very angry. Barking together they rushed towards the jackal to bite him.  Trembling with fear, the Jackal ran for his life and hid in his hole.

He remembered the advice of the rabbit, that one should not feel envious of those animals that have better facilities for living. It is fruitless to imitate those who are in a better company.

Moral

1. People like you for your character and qualities. It does not matter how you look or what you possess. 

2. Do not try to imitate people who have better toys, clothes and other things than you.