There lived an elephant and a hippo in a forest. They were fast friends.
Both of them were vain of their strength. All the little creatures of the forest were scared of them.
One day, both the elephant and the hippo were talking near a pond.
Suddenly, a tortoise came out of the pond and began to pace towards them.
Seeing the tortoise both of them laughed. The elephant spoke out, “See; he does not know even how to walk.”
Hearing these words the tortoise got red in rage. But he uttered peacefully, “You too are not much intelligent.”
“What rubbish are you talking? The acts of our bravery are popular across the entire forest,” the hippo burst out, saying.
The tortoise observed, “Let us see how strong you are. I am going into the water by holding this rope. Drag me out.”
Saying these words the tortoise entered the pond and tied one end of the rope to a rock lying in water.
Both the elephant and the hippo dragged the other end of the rope with great might but the rock did not budge an inch.
Both the friends hung their heads in shame and took to their heels. The tortoise’s cleverness had shattered all their strength.
Moral : The power of intelligence can make a weak creature strong and powerful.
The True Friend
Once upon a time, an elephant was roaming across a forest.
Suddenly, he sighted a monkey sitting on a tree. He said, “Would you make friends with me?”
The monkey replied, “No brother! You are too big. You can’t jump from tree to tree like me. How can we be friends then?”
Next day, the elephant came across a rabbit. The elephant asked him the same question.
The rabbit replied, “No, you are too big. How will you play in my burrow?” Feeling disappointed the elephant went away from there.
The following day, the elephant met a jackal. When the elephant tried to make friends with him, the jackal too replied in the negative.
Now, the elephant was utterly sad and disappointed. He began to curse himself because none wanted to make friends with him.
One day, the elephant noticed that the forest creatures were rushing here and there due to fear.
Somehow, he stopped a deer and asked him, “O dear, why and where are you all rushing?”
The deer trembling with fear uttered, “Run if you want to save your life. A lion has entered the forest and is killing all the forest creatures.”
Hearing these words the elephant went ahead and lifted the cruel lion in his trunk and threw him off. The lion took to his heels.
Seeing the lion running away in fear all the creatures began to dance in jubilation. All of them thanked the elephant. Now, the elephant had become the true friend of all the forest creatures.
Moral : A friend in need is a true friend indeed.
