In a dense forest, where rivers sparkled and the chirping of birds echoed, lived a wise monkey named Chatur. Chatur was famous for his intelligence and habit of sharing with everyone. In the same forest lived a deer named Jalan, who was jealous of others’ success and always boasted about his strength.
One day, a rare fruit tree suddenly grew in the forest, its fruits so delicious that their fragrance spread for miles. Chatur noticed the tall tree and thought, “These fruits should be shared with all the animals.” He called his friends—a dove (Shanti) and a squirrel (Daad)—and said, “Let’s work together to pick the fruits and distribute them in the forest.”
Jalan, who was standing nearby, overheard this and thought to himself, “These fruits will boost my pride. I’ll take them all myself!” He pushed Chatur and his friends aside and dashed toward the tree. But a deer’s legs weren’t made for climbing, and he slipped and fell repeatedly. Chatur chuckled and said, “Brother Jalan, strength alone doesn’t get you everything. Wisdom and cooperation are essential.”
Jalan turned red with anger and said, “I’ll prove myself!” He charged at the tree with force, but it only shook, and the fruits remained out of reach. Meanwhile, Chatur devised a plan: he asked Shanti the dove to fly up and pick the fruits, while Daad the squirrel brought them down. Together, they collected the fruits and shared them with all the forest animals, including Jalan.
Jalan realized his mistake. He apologized to Chatur and said, “I was blinded by jealousy. From now on, I’ll cooperate.” The next day, Jalan used his strength to help the forest and began working alongside Chatur.
Moral Lesson: Jealousy and pride cause harm; cooperation and wisdom bring happiness.