The Story of the Lion, Camel, Jackal and Crow
Once upon a time, in a dense jungle lived a mighty lion named Madotkata.
His roar echoed “ROOOAARRR!” across the jungle, making every creature tremble in fear.
A cunning jackal and a sharp-eyed crow lived in the same jungle.
The jackal walked around sniffing for food and always thinking of tricks. The crow perched above, going “caw-caw! Caw-caw!”, watching and observing everything.
Now, these two were close companions to the lion.
One day, as the lion, jackal, and crow were walking through the jungle, they saw a lonely camel.
It had been separated from its caravan and was wandering all by itself.
The lion looked at the strange animal and said,
“Hmm… I’ve never seen a creature like this before. Where has it come from?”
The clever crow flapped its wings and replied,
“Caw-caw! My lord, that is a camel. It usually lives with humans. It must have wandered into the jungle by mistake.”
The jackal licked his lips and said,
“My lord, camels are very tasty. Let us kill it and have a grand feast!”
“I will not kill a guest.” The lion replied. “Bring him to me and I will talk to him.”
And so, they all went to the camel and spoke to him. The lion asked gently,
“Who are you, and how did you come here?”
The camel sighed and said,
“My lord, I am Krathanaka and I used to live with humans. I had to work day and night, carrying heavy loads. One day, I got separated from my caravan and wandered into this jungle.”
Hearing this, the lion said kindly, “Do not worry. You can stay in my jungle. Roam freely and eat as much fresh grass as you like.”
Then he added firmly,
“No animal will harm you. You are under my protection.”
Days passed happily, but one unfortunate day, the lion got injured while hunting.
He limped back to his den “ugh… grrr…” and could no longer hunt.
Seeing the lion’s weak condition, the jackal leaned closer to the crow and whispered,
“If the lion goes hungry, we will go hungry too.”
The crow flapped its wings “flap-flap” and said, “We must find food… or find a way to get it by tricking someone.”
Their eyes slowly turned toward the innocent camel, who was nearby, munching grass “chomp… chomp…” without a worry.
The jackal devised a cunning plan. They went to the lion.
First, the crow hopped forward and said, “My lord, eat me and fulfil your hunger.”
The hungry and weak lion growled grrr…, “No! You are too small.”
Then the jackal stepped forward, “My king, please eat me instead.”
The lion roared softly hmm… grrr…, “No, I cannot.”
The foolish camel was listening to all this. Touched by their “loyalty,” he thought he should also show concern for the lion. He stepped forward “clop… clop…” and said, “My lord, I am the biggest. Please eat me and survive.”
The hungry lion hesitated for a moment, tempted by the camel’s offer. Even though he had promised protection, the camel was now willingly offering himself.
Unable to control his hunger, the lion suddenly lunged forward “whoosh!” and with a fierce roar “ROOOAR!” pounced on the camel.
The jackal and crow exchanged satisfied glances as they began to feast “crunch…munch…”.
The foolish camel died before it could realise:
Blind trust and foolish imitation can lead to one’s downfall.
The camel didn’t think carefully. He simply followed what others were doing, without understanding their hidden intentions. In life, it’s important to use your own judgment instead of blindly copying others.
Moral of the story:
Follow your own thinking, not just others’ actions. Don’t be fooled by sweet words or fake kindness. Be careful as there may be people who hide selfish motives behind friendship.
Take a look at the engaging Panchatantra storybooks listed below, if you want to buy a physical book for your kid.
