A squirrel served a lion very faithfully. Pleased with his service, the lion told him, “When you retire, I will give you a cart full of almonds.” The squirrel was very happy. But there were times when the squirrel used to yearn playing with his friends and leading a carefree life. He envied them but consoled himself with the thought that when he would retire he would get a cart full of almonds. No other squirrel would be so lucky. He kept serving the lion till he reached the age of retirement. Then, the lion held a farewell party for the squirrel and gifted him a cart full of almonds. The squirrel looked at the almonds lovingly and thanked the lion profusely. But his joy was short-lived as he realised that due to his old age, he had no teeth to eat the almonds with.
The Cart Full of Almonds
