Hitopadesha: The Jackal & The Lion: Read Aloud

Summary

In this story, a cunning jackal offers to serve a lion in exchange for food. The jackal scouts animals from a mountain top, allowing the lion to hunt and share leftovers. Over time, the jackal becomes ambitious and insists on hunting an animal himself, despite the lion's warnings. The jackal tries to kill an elephant but fails, and the elephant kills him instead. The tale highlights the dangers of overestimating one’s abilities and the consequences of recklessness.

Takeaways

• 🦁 The story is about a jackal and a lion forming a partnership.
• 🦊 The jackal offers to serve the lion and they start working together.
• 🦅 The jackal's job is to spot animals from the mountain and report to the lion.
• 🐘 One day, the jackal spots an elephant and informs the lion.
• 🦁 The lion kills the elephant and shares the leftovers with the jackal.
• 📅 Over time, the jackal grows ambitious and wants to hunt on his own.
• 🙅‍♂️ The lion advises the jackal against this idea, but eventually agrees.
• 👀 The jackal claims to have seen another elephant and tries to hunt it.
• ❌ The jackal fails to kill the elephant and gets killed instead.
• 🙏 The story ends with a lesson on understanding one's limitations.

Q & A

Who are the main characters in the story?

The main characters are the jackal and the lion.

What was the initial request of the jackal to the lion?

The jackal requested to serve the lion.

What was the jackal’s daily task assigned by the lion?

The jackal had to go to the mountaintop daily to check for roaming animals and report back to the lion.

What animal did the jackal first report seeing?

The jackal first reported seeing an elephant.

How did the lion react after hearing about the elephant?

The lion ran down the mountain, killed the elephant, ate his fill, and left the leftovers for the jackal.

Why did the jackal become restless after many days?

The jackal became restless because he wanted to hunt an animal on his own.

What was the lion's initial reaction to the jackal's request to hunt?

The lion was surprised and shocked, and he pleaded with the jackal to give up the idea.

What happened when the jackal attempted to hunt the elephant on his own?

The jackal missed the elephant and was killed by the puzzled elephant.

What lesson can be learned from this story?

The story teaches that overestimating one's abilities and ignoring advice can lead to unfortunate consequences.

How did the relationship between the jackal and the lion change by the end of the story?

Initially, the jackal served the lion obediently, but by the end, his impatience led him to act independently, resulting in his death.