The Foolish Crane and the Mongoose

Beside a quiet lake stood a mighty banyan tree. Its branches sheltered a flock of cranes, who built their nests there. But beneath the tree, in a hollow at its root, lived a poisonous black snake. Whenever the crane’s eggs hatched, the snake would slither up and devour the helpless chicks.

One crane, heartbroken after losing all her young, wept bitterly at the lake’s edge. A crab, passing by, asked gently, “Why do you cry, dear aunty?”

The crane sobbed, “I am cursed! That wicked black snake has eaten every one of my children. I am powerless to stop him.”

The crab thought slyly, “Here is my chance. The cranes are our natural enemies. I will suggest a plan that rids the snake, but also brings ruin to the cranes.”

He said, “Do not despair. I know a way. Near here lives a fierce mongoose. Scatter pieces of fish and meat from his burrow all the way to the snake’s hollow. The mongoose, following the trail, will surely fight and kill the snake.”

Desperate, the crane agreed. She laid the trail of food exactly as advised. The mongoose, lured by the scent, soon encountered the black snake. A fierce battle followed, and the snake was slain.

But soon, the mongoose noticed the nests high above in the banyan tree. Day by day, he climbed up and began killing the cranes. Before long, not a single crane remained alive.

Moral of the Story:

A solution should never be worse than the problem itself. In trying to end one trouble, do not create a greater disaster.