There was a village beside a hill. In the hill and in the forest on the other side of the village, there lived many animals. The majority of smaller animals like birds, rats, rabbits, squirrels, lizards, Jackals, cats, monkeys and mongoose lived on the hill near the village. The larger animals like tigers, tigers, elephants, bears and deers preferred to live in the dense forest.
The animals of the forest had chosen the tiger as their king. The tiger was the strongest animal amongst the bigger animals of the forest. He guarded the forest throughout the night and did not permit tigers of other areas to enter the forest. For his meals, the tiger frequently killed the smaller animals living on the hill.
The smaller animals living on the hill were living in fear of the tiger. They desired to have a king who could protect them from the tiger. They wanted to make the largest and strongest animal of their habitation as their king.
In a small cave, at the bottom of the hill, there lived a cunning jackal. He wanted to become the king of the little animals living on the hill. However, he knew that they would not easily accept him as king, because he was too small and weak like his other neighbours. Besides, other animals of the hill did not trust him because he frequently lied.
Nevertheless, the jackal was too eager to become king by hook or crook. There were large trees and thick bushes on the plain at the base of the hill. The villagers threw away the leftovers of their food and meat in the bushes around the hill. Everyday, during the night, the jackal went to the bushes in search of food and returned back to his house in the morning at sunrise.
One morning, while coming back, he saw a very large dark animal, standing in the bushes in front of the rock face beside his house. At first glance, the jackal was terrified. He had never seen such a large animal on the hill. The animal looked like a large jackal. “Who could it be?” he wondered. He cautiously and slowly moved forward towards his den at the foot of the hill. As he came closer to the hill, he found that the large animal gradually became smaller in size. On reaching the door of his house he realised that the large animal was only his shadow. The early sun rising at his back had cast his shadow on the thick bushes in front of his den. The shadow was large when he saw it from a distance and it became smaller on approaching the hill. An idea flashed across Jackal’s mind. He thought if his shadow could deceive him by appearing like a large animal, it could also convince the other animals about the existence of a large animal living at the foot of the hill.
The jackal thought of a plan to become the king by proving himself powerful with the help of his shadow. He waited for an opportunity to work out his plan. One day, the animals of the hill called a meeting of the residents of the hill to choose their king. Finally, came the turn of jackals. The jackal said, “None amongst us has the strength and power to be a king. We are all small and weak. However, we may choose the one animal, which is largest amongst us, as our king. I have employed a big, powerful animal to guard my den, during the night, when I go out in search of food. My friend is much bigger and stronger than all of us. Until I return back to my den at sunrise, he stands guard at the door of my house. My guard is so ferocious, that tigers dare not enter my house. If you accept this animal as our king, he will be able to protect all of us.”
The animals were not aware of any large animal living on the hill. Since the jackal was a habitual liar, they did not believe him. A monkey expressed his doubt. He said, “I have never seen the animal you are talking about. We shall believe you only after seeing this animal with our own eyes. Let us see what he looks like?”
The cunning jackal said, “My guard is very shy. He never comes out of the house. He would not meet or talk with anyone except me. He never comes out of my house. Only when I return back to my den in the morning, he greets me at the door of my den. My guard is too shy to face you.
However, when I return from the fields after collecting food in the morning, you may see him from a distance. Tomorrow, all of you may gather in front of my house at sunrise and I will show you what my friend looks like?”
Next morning, before sunrise, all animals living on the hill gathered beneath a banyan tree on the plain at the foot of the hill to see the large animal. At sunrise, shadows of animals moving around fell on the thick bushes at the foot of the hill. However the banyan tree, beneath which the animals stood, was so far away from the hill that they could not make out the difference between a shadow and a living animal. The jackal had also asked the animals to gather under the big banyan tree, so that their own shadows could not be seen.
The animals of the hill had never gone down the hill. They had never seen the large shadows of animals moving on the plains falling on the bushes at the foot of the hill. This way, the cunning jackal had taken all precautions to befool the animals into believing that his shadow was indeed some living animal. While the animals waited beneath the tree, returning back to his house in the morning, the jackal carefully chose a path, from where his shadow on the bushes could be clearly seen.
The sun rose, and the animals saw the huge shadow of the Jackal on the thick bushes in front of his den. As the jackal came to the door of the den, the shadow disappeared. Standing at the door of the den, the jackal said, “My friend guard has gone into sleep. Did you notice how big and fearsome he is? Isn’t he bigger than a tiger? If you agree, I may ask him to be our king. I assure you that with this animal guarding, the tiger would not be able to enter the hill.”
All animals were greatly impressed. However, the jackal agreed to speak to the guard on a condition. He said, “Everyday you will have to bring food for the guard at my house. Since my friend does not meet anyone, you may leave the food at my doorstep.”
The animals unanimously agreed to declare the animal as their king and provide him food at the den of the jackal. Everyday, they brought all types of fruits and vegetables and kept these at the door of Jackal’s house. The clever jackal took these inside and everyday enjoyed a hearty meal. He no longer had to work and go out in search of food. In this way a few days passed. However, you cannot fool all the people by telling lies.
A monkey living on the hill became suspicious. He knew that the jackal was in the habit of telling lies. He decided to investigate. Everyday climbing on top of the banyan tree at the base of the hill, he watched the jackal and his shadow.
One morning, when the jackal was returning to his den, a patch of cloud covered the sun and the shadow disappeared. After some time when the sun came out of the cloud, the shadow could be seen again.
The monkey jumped down from the tree and stood facing the hill, with his back towards the rising sun. A large shadow of his body formed on the bushes in front of the hill. He moved towards the hill and the shadow became smaller. He had solved the mystery of the big guard.
He called other animals one by one and they too saw their big shadows on the bushes in front of the hill. They became very angry at the cunning of the jackal and decided to stop speaking to him. Thereafter, the poor jackal had to live all alone. No one wanted to meet or talk to him. He had to look for his food. Once the jackal became sick. He could not go out to collect food. He did not get anything to eat for many days. He went from door to door to all his neighbours telling them that he was not well, but none believed him. They thought that he was lying. None gave him anything to eat.
He died of hunger.
MORAL – If you have a habit of telling lies, you develop a bad reputation. When people come to know that you are a liar by habit, they never believe you even if you tell the truth. Nobody helps a liar even when he is actually in need of help.
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