Page 19 - Moral Stories Vol 1

The Crow and the Jackal
(Adapted and Modified from the Panchatantra)
Once upon a time, there lived a deer and a crow. They were good friends.
One day, a jackal saw the deer and thought, “He looks plump. What a delicious meal he would make!”
He went up to the deer and said in a pleading voice, “ I am all alone in this world. I have no family or friends. But now that I have met you, I feel that I have found a friend. Will you be my friend?”
The deer was moved by his words and accepted him as his friend. He took the jackal to his place and introduced him to his friend, crow.
The crow did not like the jackal.
Crow: “You have to be careful in choosing friends. You have to know the good and bad qualities of a stranger before accepting them as friends”.
Jackal: “You say that you are a good friend and all others are enemies. You seem to forget that on the first day he met you as a stranger and yet your friendship only grows stronger each day. You should be friendly with everyone and should not speak such hurtful words”.
Deer: “Why this argument? Why should we fight with each other?”
He turned to the crow and said, “My friend! We will not lose anything with this friendship with the jackal. Let us all live together in amity and joy”.
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