Loss Of friend

THE CRANE AND THE MONGOOSE

In a big banyan tree lived many cranes. They had made the forest their home and were well-settled in the tree. In the hollow of the same tree lived a cobra. Even before the young cranes had learned how to fly, the cobra would eat them up. One day, the mother crane saw the cobra killing her offspring, and greatly distressed, she began to cry. A crab was sitting near the tree. He saw the mother crane sob- bing and asked her what made her cry so much.

"The wicked cobra eats my children,' said the crane. He lives in the tree and we cannot drive him away. I'm unable to save my children, what do I do? Please give me some advice.'

The crab was clever. "These cranes are actually our enemies,' he thought. 'Given the chance they would eat us. This is a golden chance. I shall misguide this crane. That will harm her as well as the rest of the cranes and bring an end to them. Our elders have taught US well. If you want to destroy your enemy, make your words soft as butter and your heart hard as stone.

The crab then said to the crane, 'I know someone who can help you. He is a mongoose and lives nearby. Drop a few meat pieces in a line leading from his burrow to the cobra's hollow. The mongoose will follow the trail of the meat pieces. He will find the cobra in his burrow and kill him. They are natural enemies. Your problem is solved.'

The crane happily did what the crab advised. The mongoose followed the trail and killed the cobra. Much to the crane's surprise, and sorrow, the mon- goose killed all the cranes, as well.

"Therefore, the king's men said, 'if you have a plan, you must be wise enough to know what will happen if it succeeds or fails. The young friend could only think of the wicked plan, but not what would happen if he got caught. Finally, he suffered the consequences of planning and doing the wrong deeds.'

The same way, Karataka said to Damanaka, 'you have not thought ahead. What would happen to you if your plan works out? What will you do then? I understand that your plan may cause harm to our lord. You have an evil mind and your place is not with us. If mice can have a thousand-pound scale for lunch, then why be amazed that a kite can carry away a child?'

'What are you talking about?' asked Damanaka, in wonder. Karataka then narrated the following story.