The Crane and the Crab

Once, an old crane lived near a pond. He had grown weak and could not catch fish anymore. So, he made a plan to trick the creatures of the pond.

The crane sat sadly near the water. A fish asked, “Uncle Crane, why do you look so unhappy?”

The crane sighed and said,
“I have heard that men will soon fill this pond and grow crops here. All of you will die. But I can help. I will carry you, one by one, to a safe lake nearby.”

The fish, frogs, and crabs believed him. Every day, the crane carried one of them—but instead of taking them to a new lake, he ate them in a quiet spot.

One day, it was the turn of a clever crab. The crane carried him in his beak, but the crab noticed the bones of fish and frogs on the ground.

He quickly understood the crane’s trick. The crab caught the crane’s neck tightly with his claws and killed him.

The crab then returned safely to the pond and told everyone the truth.

Moral

Cleverness can defeat cunning.

The Brahmin and the Goat

Once, a kind Brahmin was given a goat as a gift for performing a ritual. He happily carried the goat on his shoulders and started walking home.

On the way, three clever crooks saw him. They wanted the goat, so they planned a trick.

The first crook met the Brahmin and laughed,
“Why did he take a dog with him?”

The Brahmin was shocked. “This is a goat, not a dog!” he replied and walked on.

After some distance, the second crook came and said,
“He is taking a dog, but why?”

The Brahmin became worried. “It is a goat, I am sure…” he thought, but continued walking.

Soon, the third crook appeared and shouted,
“Ha! What a fool you are to carry a donkey on your shoulders!”

Now the Brahmin was very confused.
“Three people said it’s not a goat. Maybe it’s some evil spirit!”

He quickly threw the goat away and ran home in fear.

The crooks laughed, caught the goat, and enjoyed a feast.

Moral

If you listen blindly to lies and doubts, you may lose what is truly yours.

The Camel and the Jackal

Once upon a time, a jackal and a camel became friends. One day, the jackal said to the camel,
“Let’s go to a field across the river. We can find food there.”

The camel agreed. The jackal was small and clever, while the camel was big and strong. Together they crossed the river—the camel swimming with the jackal on his back.

When they reached the field, the jackal quickly ate up all the sugarcane. The camel also enjoyed eating the green plants.

But after his meal, the jackal started howling loudly. The camel warned him,
“Friend, please keep quiet! If the farmers hear you, they will come here.”

The jackal laughed and said,
“I cannot help it. After a meal, I must sing!”

Hearing the howls, the farmers rushed out with sticks. They beat the camel badly and chased him away.

Later, when they were crossing the river to return, the camel thought,
“Everyone must live by his habit. The jackal’s habit is to howl after eating. My habit is to take a bath after eating.”

So, while swimming across the river, the camel dived deep into the water. The jackal, who was sitting on his back, fell into the river and was swept away.

Moral

Selfish friends bring trouble.

The Merchant and His Iron

Once, there was a poor merchant. He had a big block of iron, which he could not use at that time. So, he gave it to his friend, another merchant, for safekeeping.

Many years later, the poor merchant returned and asked,
“Brother, please give me back my iron.”

The greedy friend had sold the iron for money. He pretended to be sad and said,
“Oh no! I am sorry. Rats have eaten your iron.”

The poor merchant understood his friend’s trick but said nothing. He simply replied,
“That’s strange, but if rats ate it, what can we do?”

The next day, the poor merchant invited his friend’s young son to go with him to the river. On the way, he locked the boy inside a cave.

In the evening, the rich merchant came running,
“My son is missing! Please help me find him!”

The poor merchant calmly said,
“Oh, I saw a hawk carry away your boy.”

The rich merchant shouted,
“How can a hawk carry a boy? That’s impossible!”

The poor merchant smiled and said,
“If rats can eat a block of iron, why can’t a hawk carry a boy?”

The greedy man understood his mistake. He begged forgiveness and returned the iron to his friend. Then the poor merchant gave back his son safely.

Moral

Those who cheat others will eventually be punished.

The Jackal and the Drum

Once, there was a clever jackal who loved to play tricks. One day, he found a large drum in the forest.

Curious, the jackal tapped the drum with his paws. The drum made a loud, booming sound that echoed through the forest.

The jackal was frightened. He thought the sound came from a huge monster. He ran to his friends and shouted,
“Danger! A giant monster is near us! We must hide!”

All the animals in the forest panicked and ran away.

The jackal, seeing the chaos, laughed to himself. He realized he had fooled everyone with just the sound of the drum.

From that day on, the animals were careful, and the jackal became known as the clever trickster of the forest.

Moral

Even a small trick can create a big effect if used cleverly.