A hare and a tortoise live in a forest. If the tortoise lived in the same pond, the hare lived on its banks. A hare used to come to that pond to quench its thirst. At that time, the hare used to laugh at the tortoise walking. The hare ran fast and the tortoise walked slowly. Seeing this, the hare always spoke sarcastically. The hare was proud that no one could run like him and that he was the greatest. One day the hare went to his home to talk to the tortoise. “Friend! Shall we both have a race? You can’t win a race with me,” challenged the hare. The turtle agreed. They set a target to run to the nearest hill. The race started. All the animals of the forest came to see this strange thing. “Is it a race between the fast running hare and the slow walking turtle?” They said strangely. As everyone watched, the race began for the tortoise and the hare. As soon as the race started, the hare ran very fast. The turtle walked slowly. The hare ran a long way and looked back. There was no turtle in sight. “When will this turtle compete with me and win?” As expected. There the hare saw some fruits and the hare ate them. Thinking that this tortoise will not come now, the hare wanted to rest for a while under the shade of the tree. Slowly it fell asleep and slept soundly.
The tortoise walked slowly and reached his destination. Waking up from sleep, the hare ran very fast and reached its intended destination. All the animals in the forest congratulated the tortoise for winning the running competitions. The hare was embarrassed to see the tortoise who had reached there before him. The hare failed in the running competitions due to laziness and pride. The walking turtle won. The hare was proud.
MORAL : It would be foolish to think myself great.
Snake and Brahmin moral story
On the bank of a river there is a large snake den. Every day the snake came out of the nest and ate the frogs in the nearby pond. Some years ago, all the frogs in that pond were gone. Unable to suffer from hunger, the snake went to the nearby forest for food. Even there it got no food. If the snake comes down, there is no way for the snake to go as the fire spreads from the grass bushes in all directions. A snake is caught in the fire. The snake was worried that he must in danger. The snake screamed to save him. Meanwhile, a Brahmin passing by heard the cry and felt sorry for the snake in danger. He immediately threw his bag in the fire. “You dig into this bag. I will slowly pull the bag out of the fire with a stick and save you,” said the Brahmin.
As the Brahmin said, the snake crawled into the sack he threw. With an awl he slowly took the bag out of the fire and saved the snake. The Brahmin was overjoyed to have saved the snake in distress. That happiness did not last long. Looking back, the snake uncoiled and hissed. The Brahmin was afraid and said, “What is this! I saved your life. Are you going to whistle at me?” He asked in pain. “You have shown the virtue of your race, shouldn’t I do the virtue of my race?” said the snake. The Brahmin ran away. The snake chased him. At that time, a donkey met the Brahmin. “Brahmin! Why run as if some monster is chasing you?” asked the donkey. “A snake in the form of a demon haunts me,” said the Brahmin. Meanwhile the snake came there and stopped hissing.
The Brahmin told the donkey everything that had happened. “Tell me justice yourself. Is it fair for the snake to harm the one who saved him?” said the Brahmin. The snake also looked at the donkey. The donkey thought that if he spoke against the snake, his life would be in danger. Immediately the donkey came up with a trick. “I believe if I see with any eyes, what happened? How did it happen? Show me you’re blindfolded. Then I will give justice,” said the donkey. Everyone came to the fire together. The donkey put the snake in the middle of the fire. The snake screamed at the flames, “O brahmin! Put the bag like before,” said the snake. The Brahmin was going to put the bag.
“O foolish Brahmin! Don’t throw that bag in the fire. Help should be given to those who are grateful. Otherwise we will be in danger,” said the donkey. The Brahmin and those on whose path the donkey went. The snake came to its senses and begged the Brahmin not to do this again. Then the Brahmin saved the snake.
MORAL : We should help those who remember our help. Otherwise it can harm us.
