Rash action

The Brahmin and the Cobra

A Brahmin lived in a village. He was also a farmer, but he earned very little money out of the crops he cultivated.

One summer's day, the Brahmin felt very hot a while working. Thus, he went to rest under big tree that grew on his land. Before he could lie down under it, he saw a huge cobra resting near an anthill, 'This cobra must actually be the goddess of this land,' he thought. 'I have never worshipped her. Maybe I am not rich for that reason. From today onwards, I will worship her every day.

The Brahmin immediately went home, brought a glass full of milk. He poured it in a bowl and began praying.

O goddess of the land,' he said and bowed low. Please forgive my ignorance. I did not know you lived here, so I did not worship you. Forgive me by accepting this milk.'

He then placed the bowl of milk at the anthill and left.

The next day, early in the morning before sunrise. the Brahmin came to the anthill. The milk was gone and there was a glistening gold coin in the bowl The cobra had accepted his offering and rewarded him. Thankful to the cobra, from that day onwards, the Brahmin poured milk in the bowl for the snake Then, he came back at dawn to collect the gold coin.

One day, the Brahmin asked his son to go to the anthill and offer milk. He then went on to another village on business. Thus, he asked his son to regu larly offer milk to the goddess. When the son went the next day, he found a gold coin in the bowl. He gleefully collected the coin.

'IfI kill the cobra, I can collect all the gold coins in the anthill in one go, he thought.

He tried to beat the cobra to death with a big stick. The cobra, surprised at first, then angered. slithered away to safety. As he was sliding away, he bit the boy. It was a fatal bite and the Brahmin's son died soon after.

The Brahmin returned to his village the next day and heard of his son's horrible death. He knew that his son died because of his own greed. The Brahmin went to the anthill the day after his

son's funeral. He offered milk to the cobra as before. However, the cobra did not come out of his hole. He just shouted from inside, 'You have come here for gold again. You have forgotten that you have lost ason and that you are in sorrow. The reason is greed, pure greed. From today, your worship is meaningless. Blinded by his youth, your son hit me and I bit him to save myself. How can I forget that blow? How can you s suffer the loss of your son? However, because you have worshipped me, I am giving you this diamond today. Now, do not come back.'

'The lesson to be learnt is that if someone betrays another's love and trust, he cannot regain it,' said the first minister. 'You won't have any problems left if you get rid of Sthirajeevi.'

After listening to the first minister patiently, the owl king turned to the second minister and asked him for his opinion.

'O my lord,' the second minister said, 'I do not agree with the advice just given. We should not kill anyone who needs help. It is being most unkind. There is a beautiful story about how a dove offered himself as food to a hunter, even though that the hunter was hunting him.' he knew

Then, the second minister told the story.