24. Hitopadesh - The Brahmin's Wife And The Mongoose

Once upon a time, in a small village there lived a Brahman with his wife. One fortunate day, the Brahman's wife gave birth their son.

Everyday Brahmin went to temple leaving his wife and son alone. So the Brahmin thought to keep a pet which would guard his family and also play with his son.

The Brahmin told his wife about plan and they decided to keep a pet. The Brahmin went around the village in search of pet and returned home with a mongoose. His wife did not like the pet, but she accepted it. She never left her son alone with mongoose as she did not trusted it and thought it might harm him.

One afternoon, the Brahmin and his wife went out for feast leaving their son at home with mongoose. After they left, a black snake came in their house. The mongoose attacked the snake and killed it.

When the Brahmin and his wife arrived, they saw blood around mongoose' mouth. They thought the mongoose had killed their son.

The enraged wife hit the mongoose hard with thick bamboo and the mongoose died. Then she hurried inside the room and found her son sleeping in the cradle. Near the cradle she saw the dead snake and realized that the mongoose saved her child from snake.

She repented her action and cried in grief for killing mongoose.

Moral: Never act in haste. Think before you act.