The Blue Jackal

Moral of the story – DON’T PRETEND TO BE SOMEONE ELSE – JUST BE YOURSELF.

Image source – Panchtantra

Once there lived a jackal deep into a jungle along with other animals. He was the most adventurous one and liked to explore new places.

One day he left his home – the jungle – and ventured into a town in search of food. But soon he was being chased by town dogs – ferocious town dogs! The city dogs snapped at his limbs with their sharp-pointed teeth, and terrified his heart with their dreadful barking.

To save himself from the dogs he ran into a dyer’s yard and fell into a vat of indigo dye. When he came out of the tub, he was colored BLUE and the dogs could not recognize him. They ran away in panic. The jackal was sad at his misfortunes and thought he should go back to the jungle.

Image source – Panchtantra

But back in the jungle all the thronging animals caught a glimpse of his body dyed in indigo color, they got frightened, and cried out in fear: “What is this creature enriched with that unknown color?” They fled in panic and their eyes danced with terror, and everyone spread the report, “Oh, oh! there is an exotic creature in our jungle that has dropped from somewhere.”

Nobody knows what he is upto. By now jackal understood everything and with his fast thinking he announced to all the other animals, “Don’t run away. Lord Brahma has crowned me your new king. Come back. I will protect all of you”.

On hearing this, the lions, tigers, leopards, monkeys, rabbits, jackals, and other species of wild life bowed humbly, saying: “Master, prescribe to us our duties.”

Thereupon he appointed lion as his prime minister and tiger as his lord of the bedchamber, while leopard was made custodian of the king’s betel, elephant the doorkeeper, and monkey, the bearer of the royal parasol(umbrella). But to all the jackals, his own relatives and friends, he drove them away with the fear of getting caught. Thus he enjoyed the kingly glory, while lions and other animals brought food for him. Later he divided and distributed the food to all after the manner of kings.

Image source – Panchtantra

While time passed in this fashion, one night, when the jungle was absolutely still, the jackals who had been chased away, began howling. Hearing this, Jackal’s body was thrilled, his eyes were filled with tears of joy, he leaped to his feet, and true to his nature the blue jackal king began howling along with his brothers.

When the lions and other animals heard this, they realized that he was a jackal. “Hey! Our king is only a jackal. We have been fooled. He shall die for this,” they cried in unison.

And when he heard this, he endeavored to flee, but was torn to bits by all the ferocious animals and was killed.