Gratitude and suspicion

A certain lion who had left his den was walking in the forest. Deeply engrossed in his stream of thoughts he fell into a pit. The lion was trying his best to come out of the pit. He was miserable. He was so majestic in his manners nevertheless, so he did not want to shout out.

A jackal was walking in the same direction. The lion saw the jackal.

“Oh my dear friend, can you please help me? I will give you anything you need if you just help me to come out of this mess.”

The jackal thought for a while. This lion is the King of beasts. If he doesn’t help him he is demeaning himself. But at the same time the lion may be ferocious. He may forget that the jackal has helped him later. As such it is better to get a promise of allegiance from him.

“My honourable King, I see that you are helpless. But promise me that you will never harm me if I save you from his misery,” said the jackal.

“You belittle my greatness and honour. I will promise that I will be your best protector wherever you live. Please take my word. Help me to come out of this mire.”

The jackal made his body look like a bridge from the bank of the mire. The lion using all his strength stepped on to the back of the jackal and came out. Then both of them went to a nearby pond and washed their bodies. The lion took the jackal to his den and gave him a good feast. He was also introduced to the lioness in the den.

“I want you and your wife to come and live near our den.”

The jackal having had a sumptuous meal in the lion den went home. The jackal told his wife all what the lion told him.

“But we got to be careful living close to a powerful King of beasts,” said the jackal wife who suspected the intention of the lion.

“The lion will never forget all what I have done to save his life. Had it not for my help, he would have died by now. So we can have faith in the lion,” said the jackal.

Having agreed, both of them came closer to the lion’s den. The lioness in the first instance was so close to the jackal wife. But for no apparent reason she did not like her husband the lion, paying regular visit to jackal’s house. But fearing her husband’s ferocity she kept silent. She continued to observe carefully what is happening around.

One day she saw her husband the lion in intimate terms with the jackal wife. It looked as if the jackal cunningly did not mind anything happening around him.

The jackal trusted the lion. One day the jackal and the lion went out further in to the thick jungle. The lioness walked out of the den and wanted to see what the jackal wife was doing. She saw a new born jackal kid being milked by the jackal wife. She suspected whether the kid was fathered by her husband.

She developed an animosity towards the jackal wife. Day by day the lioness developed the cruel feelings towards the jackal and his wife. The lioness pretended she is not well. On inquiry the lion came to know the reality of her sickness.

But the lion failed to convince that he had no such intimacy with wife of the jackal. The lion on further contemplation told his friend the jackal the entire story.

“I can convince your wife as what had really happened.”

“How are you going to do that?” Asked the lion.

“I will tell your wife that my wife is quite faithful to me, and you are quite faithful to your wife.”

“Can you really convince her of my innocence, and help me renew our friendship?” Asked the lion.

“Yes certainly,” said the jackal. After much discussion the lion and the jackal planned the communicative techniques that could be utilized.

The jackal made arrangements for both families a meeting point in one place. When the lioness recovered from her pretensions, they all met for a great big feast arranged by the jackal.

“Your husband is a great King in the forest. He is a lion, who will not stoop down to an immoral behaviour. This is one side of the story. On the other hand I trust and have look of faith in my wife. I know for certain that newborn is my kid. We should all live happily.

Everyone was listening silently. No questions arose. From there onwards they all lived happily.