The Otters and the Wolf

Two Otters catch a large fish but argue over dividing it. A cunning Wolf overhears and offers to help. He gives one Otter the tail, the other the head, and keeps the best part—the middle—for himself. The Otters realize too late they’ve been outwitted. The Wolf proudly brings the fish home to his mate, claiming it as his reward for resolving their dispute.

Source:
More Jataka Tales
by Ellen C. Babbit
The Century Co., New York, 1922

► Themes of the story

Cunning and Deception: The wolf uses deceit to exploit the otters’ dispute, securing the best portion of the fish for himself.

Moral Lessons: The tale teaches the consequences of greed and the importance of cooperation, highlighting how internal conflicts can lead to exploitation by outsiders.

Trickster: The wolf embodies the trickster archetype, using cleverness to outsmart the otters and achieve his goal.

► From the same Region or People

South Asia
- India
  - Buddhist Lore

Learn more about Jataka Tales

One day a Wolf said to her mate, “A longing has come upon me to eat fresh fish.”

“I will go and get some for you,” said he and he went down to the river.

There he saw two Otters standing on the bank looking for fish. Soon one of the Otters saw a great fish, and entering the water with a bound, he caught hold of the tail of the fish.

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But the fish was strong and swam away, dragging the Otter after him. “Come and help me,” the Otter called back to his friend. “This great fish will be enough for both of us!”

So the other Otter went into the water. The two together were able to bring the fish to land. “Let us divide the fish into two parts.”

“I want the half with the head on,” said one.

“You cannot have that half. That is mine,” said the other. “You take the tail.”

The Wolf heard the Otters and he went up to them.

Seeing the Wolf, the Otters said: “Lord of the gray-grass color, this fish was caught by both of us together. We cannot agree about dividing him. Will you divide him for us?”

The Wolf cut off the tail and gave it to one, giving the head to the other. He took the large middle part for himself, saying to them, “You can eat the head and the tail without quarreling.” And away he ran with the body of the fish. The Otters stood and looked at each other. They had nothing to say, but each thought to himself that the Wolf had run off with the best of the fish.

The Wolf was pleased and said to himself, as he ran toward home, “Now I have fresh fish for my mate.”

His mate, seeing him coming, came to meet him, saying: “How did you get fish? You live on land, not in the water.”

Then he told her of the quarrel of the Otters. “I took the fish as pay for settling their quarrel,” said he.

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The Woodpecker and the Lion

A Lion, troubled by a bone stuck in his throat, sought help from a cautious Woodpecker. The bird skillfully removed the bone, saving the Lion’s life. However, the Lion showed no gratitude, later dismissing the Woodpecker’s request for a favor by claiming sparing the bird earlier was enough. Disappointed, the Woodpecker chose to avoid the ungrateful Lion thereafter.

Source:
More Jataka Tales
by Ellen C. Babbit
The Century Co., New York, 1922

► Themes of the story

Cunning and Deception: The woodpecker uses cleverness to safely remove the bone from the lion’s throat, demonstrating wit in a dangerous situation.

Moral Lessons: The story imparts a lesson about ingratitude and the importance of reciprocating kindness, highlighting the consequences of selfishness.

Conflict with Authority: The woodpecker’s interaction with the powerful lion reflects the dynamics of challenging or dealing with those in positions of power, especially when they act unjustly.

► From the same Region or People

South Asia
- India
  - Buddhist Lore

Learn more about Jataka Tales

One day while a Lion was eating his dinner a bone stuck in his throat. It hurt so that he could not finish his dinner. He walked up and down, up and down, roaring with pain.

A Woodpecker lit on a branch of a tree near-by, and hearing the Lion, she said, “Friend, what ails you?” The Lion told the Woodpecker what the matter was, and the Woodpecker said: “I would take the bone out of your throat, friend, but I do not dare to put my head into your mouth, for fear I might never get it out again. I am afraid you might eat me”

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“O Woodpecker, do not be afraid,” the Lion said. “I will not eat you. Save my life if you can!”

“I will see what I can do for you,” said the Woodpecker. “Open your mouth wide.” The Lion did as he was told, but the Woodpecker said to himself: “Who knows what this Lion will do? I think I will be careful.”

So the Woodpecker put a stick between the Lion’s upper and lower jaws so that he could not shut his mouth.

Then the Woodpecker hopped into the Lion’s mouth and hit the end of the bone with his beak. The second time he hit it, the bone fell out.

The Woodpecker hopped out of the Lion’s mouth, and hit the stick so that it too fell out. Then the Lion could shut his mouth.

At once the Lion felt very much better, but not one word of thanks did he say to the Woodpecker.

One day later in the summer, the Woodpecker said to the Lion, “I want you to do something for me.”

“Do something for you?” said the Lion. “You mean you want me to do something more for you. I have already done a great deal for you. You cannot expect me to do anything more for you. Do not forget that once I had you in my mouth, and I let you go. That is all that you can ever expect me to do for you.” The Woodpecker said no more, but he kept away from the Lion from that day on.

The Red-Bud Tree

Four young princes, curious about the mysterious Red-Bud Tree, visited it during different seasons. The eldest saw it bare in early spring, the second with red buds, the third covered in green leaves, and the youngest adorned with bean-pods. They argued over its appearance, but the king explained they had all seen the same tree, illustrating how perspectives change with time.

Source:
More Jataka Tales
by Ellen C. Babbit
The Century Co., New York, 1922

► Themes of the story

Transformation: The tree undergoes physical changes throughout the seasons—bare branches, red buds, green leaves, and bean pods—symbolizing the natural cycles of transformation.

Moral Lessons: The princes learn that their individual observations are part of a larger, complete picture, teaching them about the value of perspective and the importance of considering different viewpoints before drawing conclusions.

Illusion vs. Reality: Each prince’s perception of the tree is limited to a single season, leading them to different conclusions about its true nature. This highlights the theme of distinguishing between appearance and the complete reality, emphasizing that understanding the full truth requires seeing beyond initial impressions.

► From the same Region or People

South Asia
- India
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Once upon a time four young princes heard a story about a certain wonderful tree, called the Red-Bud Tree. No one of them had ever seen a Red-Bud Tree, and each prince wished to be the first to see one. So the eldest prince asked the driver of the king’s chariot to take him deep into the woods where this tree grew.

It was still very early in the spring and the tree had no leaves, nor buds. It was black and bare like a dead tree. The prince could not understand why this was called a Red-Bud Tree, but he asked no questions.

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Later in the spring, the next son went with the driver of the king’s chariot to see the Red-Bud Tree. At this time it was covered with red buds.

The tree was all covered with green leaves when the third son went into the woods a little later to see it. He asked no questions about it, but he could see no reason for calling it the Red-Bud Tree.

Some time after this the youngest prince begged to be taken to see the Red-Bud Tree. By this time it was covered with little bean-pods.

When he came back from the woods he ran into the garden where his brothers were playing, crying, “I have seen the Red-Bud Tree.”

“So have I,” said the eldest prince. “It did not look like much of a tree to me,” said he; “it looked like a dead tree. It was black and bare.”

“What makes you say that?” said the second son. “The tree has hundreds of beautiful red buds. This is why it is called the Red-Bud Tree.”

The third prince said: “Red buds, did you say? Why do you say it has red buds? It is covered with green leaves.”

The prince who had seen the tree last laughed at his brothers, saying: “I have just seen that tree, and it is not like a dead tree. It has neither red buds nor green leaves on it. It is covered with little bean-pods.”

The king heard them and waited until they stopped talking. Then he said: “My sons, you have all four seen the same tree, but each of you saw it at a different time of the year.”

The Penny-Wise Monkey

A king planning to conquer a distant land observes a monkey drop all its peas to chase a single lost one. Realizing the futility of greed, the king reflects on the monkey’s mistake and decides to abandon his conquest. Choosing contentment over ambition, he and his army return home, valuing what they already possess over risking it for uncertain gains.

Source:
More Jataka Tales
by Ellen C. Babbit
The Century Co., New York, 1922

► Themes of the story

Moral Lessons: The monkey’s loss due to greed teaches the value of contentment and the pitfalls of unnecessary ambition.

Cunning and Deception: The monkey’s attempt to gather more peas reflects a cunning nature, though it ultimately leads to his downfall.

Transformation through Love: The king’s observation of the monkey leads to a transformation in his own perspective, choosing peace over conquest out of a newfound appreciation for his own kingdom.

► From the same Region or People

South Asia
- India
  - Buddhist Lore

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Once upon a time the king of a large and rich country gathered together his army to take a faraway little country. The king and his soldiers marched all morning long and then went into camp in the forest.

When they fed the horses they gave them some peas to eat. One of the Monkeys living in the forest saw the peas and jumped down to get some of them. He filled his mouth and hands with them, and up into the tree he went again, and sat down to eat the peas.

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As he sat there eating the peas, one pea fell from his hand to the ground. At once the greedy Monkey dropped all the peas he had in his hands, and ran down to hunt for the lost pea. But he could not find that one pea. He climbed up into his tree again, and sat still looking very glum. “To get more, I threw away what I had,” he said to himself.

The king had watched the Monkey, and he said to himself: “I will not be like this foolish Monkey, who lost much to gain a little. I will go back to my own country and enjoy what I now have.”

So he and his men marched back home.

The Cunning Wolf

A group of townsfolk on a holiday ate all their food by noon. One man decided to hunt by pretending to be dead near a lake to trick animals into approaching. The King of the Wolves, suspicious, tested the man’s ploy and exposed it by pulling his club. The animals escaped, leaving the man empty-handed, bested by the wolf’s cunning.

Source:
More Jataka Tales
by Ellen C. Babbit
The Century Co., New York, 1922

► Themes of the story

Trickster: The man employs deceit by pretending to be dead to lure animals, embodying the trickster archetype.

Cunning and Deception: The narrative centers on the use of cunning and deceit, both by the man and the wolf, highlighting the dynamics of trickery.

Moral Lessons: The tale imparts a lesson about the consequences of deceit and the value of wisdom, as the man’s trickery is thwarted by the wolf’s intelligence.

► From the same Region or People

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- India
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Once upon a time the people in a certain town went out into the woods for a holiday. They took baskets full of good things to eat. But when noontime came they ate all the meat they had brought with them, not leaving any for supper.

“I will get some fresh meat. We will make a fire here and roast it,” said one of the men.

So taking a club, he went to the lake where the animals came to drink. He lay down, club in hand, pretending to be dead.

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When the animals came down to the lake they saw the man lying there and they watched him for some time.

“That man is playing a trick on us, I believe,” said the King of the Wolves. “The rest of you stay here while I will see whether he is really dead, or whether he is pretending to be dead.”

Then the cunning King of the Wolves crept up to the man and slyly pulled at his club.

At once the man pulled back on his club.

Then the King of the Wolves ran off saying: “If you had been dead, you would not have pulled back on your club when I tried to pull it away. I see your trick. You pretend you are dead so that you may kill one of us for your supper.”

The man jumped up and threw his club at the King of the Wolves. But he missed his aim. He looked for the other animals but there was not one in sight. They had all run away. Then the man went back to his friends, saying: “I tried to get fresh meat by playing a trick on the animals, but the cunning Wolf played a better trick on me, and I could not get one of them.”

The Stupid Monkeys

A king’s gardener, eager to join a city holiday, entrusted a tribe of monkeys to water young trees in the royal garden. Following the gardener’s vague instructions, the monkeys decided to measure root lengths to determine water needs, uprooting all the trees in the process. When the gardener returned, he found the trees dead, illustrating the consequences of misplaced trust and poor planning.

Source:
More Jataka Tales
by Ellen C. Babbit
The Century Co., New York, 1922

► Themes of the story

Moral Lessons: The narrative teaches the importance of proper planning and the consequences of entrusting responsibilities to those unqualified, highlighting the pitfalls of misplaced trust and lack of foresight.

Cunning and Deception: The gardener’s decision to delegate his duties to the monkeys, perhaps underestimating their capabilities, reflects a form of cunning that ultimately backfires, leading to unintended consequences.

Trickster: The monkeys, in their misguided attempt to follow the gardener’s instructions, embody the trickster archetype, causing chaos through their literal interpretation and actions, which leads to the destruction of the young trees.

► From the same Region or People

South Asia
- India
  - Buddhist Lore

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Once upon a time a king gave a holiday to all the people in one of his cities.

The king’s gardener thought to himself: “All my friends are having a holiday in the city. I could go into the city and enjoy myself with them if I did not have to water the trees here in this garden. I know what I will do. I will get the Monkeys to water the young trees for me.” In those days, a tribe of Monkeys lived in the king’s garden.

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So the gardener went to the Chief of the Monkeys, and said: “You are lucky Monkeys to be living in the king’s garden. You have a fine place to play in. You have the best of food–nuts, fruit, and the young shoots of trees to eat. You have no work at all to do. You can play all day, every day. To-day my friends are having a holiday in the city, and I want to enjoy myself with them. Will you water the young trees so that I can go away?”

“Oh, yes!” said the Chief of the Monkeys. “We shall be glad to do that.”

“Do not forget to water the trees when the sun goes down. See they have plenty of water, but not too much,” said the gardener. Then he showed them where the watering-pots were kept, and went away.

When the sun went down the Monkeys took the watering-pots, and began to water the young trees. “See that each tree has enough water,” said the Chief of the Monkeys.

“How shall we know when each tree has enough?” they asked. The Chief of the Monkeys had no good answer, so he said: “Pull up each young tree and look at the length of its roots. Give a great deal of water to those with long roots, but only a little to those trees that have short roots.”

Then those stupid Monkeys pulled up all the young trees to see which trees had long roots and which had short roots.

When the gardener came back the next day, the poor young trees were all dead.

The Golden Goose

A kind Golden Goose gave its golden feathers to a poor woman and her daughters, helping them live comfortably. Despite the Goose’s generosity, the greedy mother plucked all its feathers at once, ignoring her daughters’ objections. However, the feathers turned worthless, and the Goose grew plain white feathers. Betrayed, it flew away forever, leaving the family to face their greed-fueled loss.

Source:
More Jataka Tales
by Ellen C. Babbit
The Century Co., New York, 1922

► Themes of the story

Sacrifice: The goose selflessly offers its golden feathers to help the poor family.

Moral Lessons: The story teaches the dangers of greed and the importance of gratitude and patience.

Loss and Renewal: The family’s greed causes them to lose the goose’s gifts, symbolizing the destruction of a blessing due to their actions.

► From the same Region or People

South Asia
- India
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Once upon a time there was a Goose who had beautiful golden feathers. Not far away from this Goose lived a poor, a very poor woman, who had two daughters.

The Goose saw that they had a hard time to get along and said he to himself:”If I give them one after another of my golden feathers, the mother can sell them, and with the money they bring she and her daughters can then live in comfort.”

So away the Goose flew to the poor woman’s house.

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Seeing the Goose, the woman said: “Why do you come here? We have nothing to give you.”

“But I have something to give you,” said the Goose. “I will give my feathers, one by one, and you can sell them for enough so that you and your daughters can live in comfort.”

So saying the Goose gave her one of his feathers, and then flew away. From time to time he came back, each time leaving another feather.

The mother and her daughters sold the beautiful feathers for enough money to keep them in comfort. But one day the mother said to her daughters: “Let us not trust this Goose. Some day he may fly away and never come back. Then we should be poor again. Let us get all of his feathers the very next time he comes.”

The daughters said: “This will hurt the Goose. We will not do such a thing.”

But the mother was greedy. The next time the Golden Goose came she took hold of him with both hands, and pulled out every one of his feathers.

Now the Golden Goose has strange feathers. If his feathers are plucked out against his wish, they no longer remain golden but turn white and are of no more value than chicken-feathers. The new ones that come in are not golden, but plain white. As time went on his feathers grew again, and then he flew away to his home and never came back again.

The Woodpecker, Turtle, and Deer

A Deer, a Woodpecker, and a Turtle share a deep friendship, living harmoniously near a lake. When a hunter traps the Deer, the Woodpecker distracts the hunter while the Turtle gnaws the trap. Despite challenges, the Deer escapes, but the Turtle is captured. The Deer cleverly rescues the Turtle, and all three friends evade the hunter, continuing their lives together in safety and happiness.

Source:
More Jataka Tales
by Ellen C. Babbit
The Century Co., New York, 1922

► Themes of the story

Good vs. Evil: The narrative contrasts the virtuous friendship and cooperation among the Deer, Woodpecker, and Turtle against the hunter’s malicious intent, highlighting the classic struggle between benevolence and malevolence.

Cunning and Deception: The Woodpecker employs clever tactics to delay the hunter, such as flapping her wings in his face, showcasing the use of wit to outsmart adversaries.

Trials and Tribulations: Each character faces significant challenges—the Deer is trapped, the Turtle’s teeth are strained from gnawing the leather, and the Woodpecker must repeatedly confront the hunter. Their perseverance through these trials underscores the importance of resilience in overcoming obstacles.

► From the same Region or People

South Asia
- India
  - Buddhist Lore

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Once upon a time a Deer lived in a forest near a lake. Not far from the same lake, a Woodpecker had a nest in the top of a tree; and in the lake lived a Turtle. The three were friends, and lived together happily.

A hunter, wandering about in the wood, saw the footprints of the Deer near the edge of the lake. “I must trap the Deer, going down into the water,” he said, and setting a strong trap of leather, he went his way.

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Early that night when the Deer went down to drink, he was caught in the trap, and he cried the cry of capture.

At once the Woodpecker flew down from her tree-top, and the Turtle came out of the water to see what could be done.

Said the Woodpecker to the Turtle: “Friend, you have teeth; you gnaw through the leather trap. I will go and see to it that the hunter keeps away. If we both do our best our friend will not lose his life.”

So the Turtle began to gnaw the leather, and the Woodpecker flew to the hunter’s house.

At dawn the hunter came, knife in hand, to the front door of his house.

The Woodpecker, flapping her wings, flew at the hunter and struck him in the face.

The hunter turned back into the house and lay down for a little while. Then he rose up again, and took his knife. He said to himself: “When I went out by the front door, a Bird flew in my face; now I will go out by the back door.” So he did.

The Woodpecker thought: “The hunter went out by the front door before, so now he will leave by the back door.” So the Woodpecker sat in a tree near the back door.

When the hunter came out the bird flew at him again, flapping her wings in the hunter’s face.

Then the hunter turned back and lay down again. When the sun arose, he took his knife, and started out once more.

This time the Woodpecker flew back as fast as she could fly to her friends, crying, “Here comes the hunter!”

By this time the Turtle had gnawed through all the pieces of the trap but one. The leather was so hard that it made his teeth feel as if they would fall out. His mouth was all covered with blood. The Deer heard the Woodpecker, and saw the hunter, knife in hand, coming on. With a strong pull the Deer broke this last piece of the trap, and ran into the woods.

The Woodpecker flew up to her nest in the tree-top.

But the Turtle was so weak he could not get away. He lay where he was. The hunter picked him up and threw him into a bag, tying it to a tree.

The Deer saw that the Turtle was taken, and made up his mind to save his friend’s life. So the Deer let the hunter see him.

The hunter seized his knife and started after the Deer. The Deer, keeping just out of his reach, led the hunter into the forest.

When the Deer saw that they had gone far into the forest he slipped away from the hunter, and swift as the wind, he went by another way to where he had left the Turtle.

But the Turtle was not there. The Deer called, “Turtle, Turtle!”; and the Turtle called out, “Here I am in a bag hanging on this tree.”

Then the Deer lifted the bag with his horns, and throwing it upon the ground, he tore the bag open, and let the Turtle out.

The Woodpecker flew down from her nest, and the Deer said to them: “You two friends saved my life, but if we stay here talking, the hunter will find us, and we may not get away. So do you, Friend Woodpecker, fly away. And you, Friend Turtle, dive into the water. I will hide in the forest.”

The hunter did come back, but neither the Deer, nor the Turtle, nor the Woodpecker was to be seen. He found his torn bag, and picking that up he went back to his home. The three friends lived together all the rest of their lives.

The Tricky Wolf and the Rats

A cunning Wolf deceives a troop of Rats by feigning injury and claiming to live only on air. Gaining their sympathy, he secretly preys on the last Rat in line each day. When the Chief of the Rats suspects foul play, he confronts the Wolf. Outsmarting the predator, the Chief defeats him, ensuring the Rats live peacefully ever after.

Source:
More Jataka Tales
by Ellen C. Babbit
The Century Co., New York, 1922

► Themes of the story

Trickster: The wolf embodies the trickster archetype by deceiving the rats with his false claims and preying on them under the guise of helplessness.

Cunning and Deception: The narrative centers around the wolf’s deceitful tactics to capture the rats and the eventual outsmarting of the wolf by the chief rat.

Moral Lessons: The story imparts a lesson about the dangers of misplaced trust and the importance of vigilance against deceit.

► From the same Region or People

South Asia
- India
  - Buddhist Lore

Learn more about Jataka Tales

Once upon a time a Big Rat lived in the forest, and many hundreds of other Rats called him their Chief.

A Tricky Wolf saw this troop of Rats, and began to plan how he could catch them. He wanted to eat them, but how was he to get them? At last he thought of a plan.

He went to a corner near the home of the Rats and waited until he saw one of them coming. Then he stood up on his hind legs.

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The Chief of the Rats said to the Wolf, “Wolf, why do you stand on your hind legs?”

“Because I am lame,” said the Tricky Wolf. “It hurts me to stand on my front legs.”

“And why do you keep your mouth open?” asked the Rat.

“I keep my mouth open so that I may drink in all the air I can,” said the Wolf. “I live on air; it is my only food day after day. I can not run or walk, so I stay here. I try not to complain.” When the Rats went away the Wolf lay down.

The Chief of the Rats was sorry for the Wolf, and he went each night and morning with all the other Rats to talk with the Wolf, who seemed so poor, and who did not complain.

Each time as the Rats were leaving, the Wolf caught and ate the last one. Then he wiped his lips, and looked as if nothing had happened.

Each night there were fewer Rats at bedtime. Then they asked the Chief of the Rats what the trouble was. He could not be sure, but he thought the Wolf was to blame.

So the next day the Chief said to the other Rats, “You go first this time and I will go last.”

They did so, and as the Chief of the Rats went by, the Wolf made a spring at him. But the Wolf was not quick enough, and the Chief of the Rats got away.

“So this is the food you eat. Your legs are not so lame as they were. You have played your last trick, Wolf,” said the Chief of the Rats, springing at the Wolf’s throat. He bit the Wolf, so that he died.

And ever after the Rats lived happily in peace and quiet.

The Three Fishes

Three fishes—Thoughtful, Very-Thoughtful, and Thoughtless—lived in a river. Warned by Very-Thoughtful of nearby fishermen, the others delayed returning to safety. When Thoughtful and Thoughtless got caught in a net, Very-Thoughtful cleverly tricked the fisherman into releasing them. Grateful for the rescue, they agreed to return to their safer, wild home, where they lived peacefully ever after. The tale highlights foresight and quick thinking.

Source:
More Jataka Tales
by Ellen C. Babbit
The Century Co., New York, 1922

► Themes of the story

Cunning and Deception: Very-Thoughtful employs clever tactics to deceive the fisherman and rescue his companions.

Moral Lessons: The narrative imparts lessons on the importance of foresight, heeding warnings, and the consequences of procrastination.

Trials and Tribulations: The fish face challenges that test their wisdom and decision-making, highlighting the perils of ignoring prudent advice.

► From the same Region or People

South Asia
- India
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Once upon a time three Fishes lived in a far-away river. They were named Thoughtful, Very-Thoughtful, and Thoughtless.

One day they left the wild country where no men lived, and came down the river to live near a town.

Very-Thoughtful said to the other two: “There is danger all about us here. Fishermen come to the river here to catch fish with all sorts of nets and lines. Let us go back again to the wild country where we used to live.”

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But the other two Fishes were so lazy and so greedy that they kept putting off their going from day to day.

But one day Thoughtful and Thoughtless went swimming on ahead of Very-Thoughtful and they did not see the fisherman’s net and rushed into it. Very-Thoughtful saw them rush into the net.

“I must save them,” said Very-Thoughtful.

So swimming around the net, he splashed in the water in front of it, like a Fish that had broken through the net and gone up the river. Then he swam back of the net and splashed about there like a Fish that had broken through and gone down the river.

The fisherman saw the splashing water and thought the Fishes had broken through the net and that one had gone up the river, the other down, so he pulled in the net by one corner. That let the two Fishes out of the net and away they went to find Very-Thoughtful.

“You saved our lives, Very-Thoughtful,” they said, “and now we are willing to go back to the wild country.” So back they all went to their old home where they lived safely ever after.