PRACTISE WHAT YOU PREACH
There was a pigeon who always chose a palm tree for her nesting. She had to put so much effort into building the nest as the palm tree was really high. After she lay her eggs and they hatch, a fox would soon arrive and stand at the bottom of the tree threatening to climb up and eat her unless she throws him her squabs. She would do it out of fear and feels devastated for her loss later.
One day a heron was passing by and saw how sad she was. He asked her about the reason and learned about the fox’s custom. He told her that the next time he threatens her, she should refuse and ask him to leave at once, for she could always save herself if not her squabs.
When her nesting was over and the fox turned up as was his habit, the pigeon repeated the heron’s words. The fox was amazed and asked who taught her that, and she told him. The fox went to meet the heron on the river bed and saw him standing in the water. He praised all bird species for their sensibleness and asked where would the heron put his head if the wind came from his right and the answer was: ‘to my left’. ‘What if it came from your left side?’ and the heron replied: ‘to my right’. The fox pondered: ‘What if the wind was coming out from all directions?’ and the heron answered: ‘under my wing’. The fox marvelled and asked for a demonstration as it was hard for him — the mere mammal — to imagine such a move. The heron put his head under his wing and the fox attacked and broke his neck. Moral of the story: practise what you preach.
LION AND THE JACKAL
There was a lion living in a jungle along with a jackal who depended on him for his meals. One day the lion got scabies and became weak that he couldn’t go hunting. He told the jackal that the cure for his scabies was a donkey’s heart and ears. The jackal offered at once to get him his medicine. He went to the village and saw the launderer’s donkey and inquired about his health as he seemed skinny.
The donkey complained about being starved and over-loaded with clothes on his back. The jackal offered him a secluded meadow where a herd of donkeys lived peacefully and the donkey agreed to accompany him there at once. The jackal left the donkey and went straight to the lion to tell him about the donkey’s whereabouts. The lion reached the meadow but was too weak to attack the donkey — who ran away frightened.
The jackal reproached the lion who promised to catch him next time. The jackal went back to the donkey and told him that what he saw was one of the residing donkeys coming out to say hello and that if he’d waited for a while, he would have been introduced to the rest of the herd.
The donkey believed him as he’d never seen a lion before and returned with the jackal to the meadow, where the lion attacked and killed him instantly. The lion then told the jackal to guard the corpse while he went to wash before eating the heart and ears. The jackal ate those parts before the arrival of the lion and when the lion asked, he answered: ‘if he had those parts in him, he would’ve never returned after escaping you the first time’. Moral of the story: knowledge compensates for inexperience.
(to be continued…)
Rasha al Raisi is a certified skills trainer and the author of The World According to Bahja. rashabooks@yahoo.com
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