In a dense forest, there ruled a mighty lion named Pingalak. His roar alone could shake the mountains, yet he had no true friend – everyone feared him.
One day, a gigantic bull named Sanjay came to live at the edge of the forest. His body was like a mountain, his horns sharp and shining. Even his bellow could make leaves fall from trees. When the two met for the first time, they stopped in their tracks – each thinking the other was stronger. They greeted each other respectfully and began to talk. Slowly, a deep friendship blossomed. Every evening, they sat by the riverbank for hours, praising each other and worrying about the welfare of the jungle.
Two jackal brothers who served as ministers at Pingalak’s court – Kartak and Damnak – burned with jealousy. The lion now spent all his time with the bull and paid no attention to them. Damnak whispered to Kartak, “If this friendship continues, we will starve. We must break it.”
They hatched a wicked plan.
First, Kartak went trembling to the lion and said, “Your Majesty, I fear Sanjay plans to kill you. This morning I saw him sharpening his horns and muttering, ‘Pingalak will not live much longer.’” The lion laughed. “You must be mistaken. Sanjay is my true friend.”
Then Damnak went to Sanjay and said in a frightened voice, “Friend, I speak for your own good. Today, Pingalak sharpened his claws and said, ‘Sanjay’s flesh will be delicious.’ I heard he plans to attack you tonight.”
A seed of doubt sprouted in Sanjay’s heart. That evening when they met by the river, the old warmth was gone. Pingalak noticed Sanjay’s horns gleaming more fiercely than usual and a strange look in his eyes. Sanjay noticed the lion repeatedly glancing at his own claws. Suspicion took root.
Suddenly, Sanjay roared, “Pingalak, tell me the truth – do you want to kill me?” Pingalak was stunned and roared back in anger, “Who has been poisoning your mind? I was thinking the very same about you!”
Words turned into blows. The lion struck with his claws, the bull charged with his horns. Blood flowed like rivers. The battle raged for hours until both collapsed beneath a tree, mortally wounded and gasping for breath.
Then Kartak and Damnak appeared and quietly began tearing pieces of flesh from their dying bodies. Pingalak and Sanjay opened their eyes and saw everything. Sanjay whispered, “We were friends… but we let others…” Pingalak, tears in his eyes, said, “We killed our own friendship.”
Both breathed their last. The jackals laughed and said, “When two strong ones fight each other, the third always profits.”
Moral Lesson: The cunning words of enemies can destroy even the truest friendship. Never believe rumours without investigation.