The Donkey Who Sang

Once there lived a donkey. His name was Uddhata.

Uddhata worked for the village washerman and carried the heaps of clothes to and from the river bank. During night, Uddhata was left to graze in the farm.

One night, Uddhata escaped into the open fields and ate the harvest. He returned to the farm before day break and so no one suspected him.Uddhata continued to secretly devour the farm harvest for many days. One night, he met a jackal and they became friends.

Every night they met and while the jackal ate the farm animals, the donkey continued enjoying the farm harvest. Months passed by and their routine continued.

One night, the donkey said, 'Friend, it is a pleasant full moon night. I want to sing my heart out'. But the jackal cautioned, 'No friend. We are stealing the harvest here. If you sing, the echo will wake the farm owners and we'll be caught for the damaging farms and killing poultry. I insist you enjoy eating and keep calm'.

But the donkey was out of his brain. He argued, 'It is such a pleasant night. I want to sing. You live in wild and may be do not understand music. I shall sing'.

The jackal understood the impending danger. He told the donkey, 'Friend, I shall stand outside the farm fence to watch if the farm owners approach'. So the jackal escaped the farms and hide himself behind the dense fencing. The donkey started braying loudly. The sound echoed intensely in the calm of night.

Soon, the farm owners woke and saw the donkey. They thrashed the donkey badly and tied a wooden mortar around his neck. They left him and went back.

When the jackal saw the donkey, he said, 'Friend I told you not to sing here. You have been punished for acting without thinking'.

Moral: Never act impulsively. Think before you act.
Read More Stories From Panchatantra