The Greedy Cobra and Frog King

Once there lived a frog named Gangadatta in a well.

Gangadatta was the ruler of frogs. He was an efficient ruler but the frog populace he ruled bothered him for petty issues. The king was dejected by the ways of his community and one day he quietly abandoned the well. He was very angry and sought revenge from all the frogs.

Gangadatta roamed around and fed on flies. One day, when he was sitting alone and dejected, he saw a cobra. It was entering its hole. Gangadatta through for a while and then went to the hole. He planned to avenge his populace by getting them killed by the cobra.

Gangadatta went near the hole and called, ‘O mighty cobra. I am Gangadatta, the king of frogs. I have to be your friend’.

The cobra was suspicious. He wondered why a frog will come to a snake - frog are killed and eaten by the snakes.

The cobra rattled and asked, ‘I should understand why a frog is coming to a snake for friendship. I am your enemy and can kill you anytime for my food’.

Gangadatta replied, ‘It is true that you are my enemy, and by asking you for friendship, I am risking my life, but I want to avenge the populace I have ruled. They have tormented me for all these years and forced me to leave my home. I seek your assistance, which will benefit both of us. I will lead you to the well, where you can prey on as many frogs as you want.

The cobra doubted the frog and said, ‘The well is cemented, how will I reach the prey? Further, where will I rest and sit to eat? You are taking vague. Please go’.

Gangadatta assured the cobra, ‘The edge of the well has a hole, where you can hide, sleep and eat. The well has my friends and my relatives. Please assure me that you will not harm my friends, and eliminate all my relatives’.

The cobra was old and week. He accepted the offer and went with the frog to the hole at the edge of well.

The cobra preyed on Gangadatta’s relatives and gradually eliminated all of them. Thereafter, he called Gangadatta and asked him, ‘all your relatives are destroyed as you wanted. Now there is no food for me. You brought me here and it your responsibility to provide me with food’.

Gangadatta was gripped by regret. He realized his mistake and understood that the cobra has an unending hunger. He was dejected and left the cobra saying nothing.

The hungry cobra now started feeding on Gangadatta’s friends. Soon the entire population of frogs was eliminated from the well.

When the cobra was hungry and saw no prey around, he asked the female lizard which crawled the wall of the well to send his message to the Gangadatta. The cobra said, ‘I am missing my friend. Please come and see me’.

When the lizard told Gangadatta, that the cobra is longing to see him, the frog said, ‘Hunger bellies know no God, keep aside the friendship. The cobra is starved and desires to kill me for his hunger. Tell him, I have realized my mistake to bring him to the well. I will never return to the well again’.

Gangadatta saved himself, though he lost his people and his home. The old cobra was unable to move for preying and soon died due to starvation.

Moral: One should fight ones won battle.

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