Hello,
My name is Amita and welcome back to the series of Panchatantra short stories.
So Panchatantra stories are the oldest surviving fables from ancient India.
These are spread all over the world for centuries,
Especially as bedtime stories for kids.
So I am starting this Panchatantra series of 60 stories.
Hope you like it.
One day the world animals called for a meeting.
They discussed a plan to alleviate their problem.
The animals then decided to send the mighty elephant to the lion to convey their proposal.
The next day the elephant went to the lion and said,
O king,
We animals request you not to kill us unnecessarily.
We are ready to fulfill your requirements.
We animals will send one animal daily to you as your food.
It will satisfy your hunger and the innocent animals will not be killed unnecessarily.
The lion listened to the elephant peacefully and then finally agreed.
However,
He cautioned the elephant,
Be firm on your promise and send me my food in time.
If the promise is broken,
I will kill all of you.
The elephant promised him that there would not be any negligence on their part.
Every day some or the other animal was sent to the lion's den.
The lion was very happy as he was getting his meals without any effort.
Though sending an animal to the lion every day was a sad fact,
The animals were consoled by the thought that they were not being killed senselessly.
One day it was the turn of a rabbit to go to the lion's den.
Now this was a very clever rabbit.
He started early from his place but did not go straight to the lion's den.
He wandered for a long time in the forest while wandering,
He thought of a wonderful plan to just get rid of the lion.
By the time the rabbit reached the lion's den,
It was well past afternoon.
The hungry lion was strolling angrily outside the cave.
When the lion saw the rabbit coming,
He roared,
Is this the time to come?
Moreover,
You are too small for my appetite.
I will not spare a single animal of this jungle.
The short rabbit pretended as if he was very much frightened and said,
Your majesty,
Of course I have come late but it's not my fault.
When I was on my way to your den,
I met another lion.
He was not allowing me to visit you.
He claimed himself as the king of the jungle.
Listening to this,
The lion became angry and heroic.
What?
The other lion claimed himself the king?
How dare he?
The clever rabbit instigated him further.
Yes,
Your majesty,
When I said that he was not the king as you were stronger than him,
He threw a challenge and asked me to convey his challenge to you.
A challenge?
A lion roared.
The rabbit said,
Yes,
Your majesty,
He wants to fight with you to prove his claim.
On hearing this,
The proud lion went mad.
He asked the rabbit to take him to the other lion's palace.
The sly rabbit rushed towards the big well.
The angry lion followed him.
When both of them reached the well,
The rabbit said,
Oh great king,
The other lion lives inside the well.
Inside this well.
The lion roared and came near the well to see his rival.
The lion peeped in and saw his own angry image inside.
The lion roared out loud.
His own voice echoed from the deep well.
The foolish lion thought it was his rival that was roaring his well and challenging him.
Out of anger,
He thoughtlessly jumped inside the well to teach the other lion a lesson.
And now he drowned in the deep water of the well and died immediately.
The happy rabbit came back to his fellow animals and told them everything.
Everyone praised him for his intelligence and they lived happily ever after thereafter.
.
