The Blue Jackal

Once upon a time, in a dense forest, lived a Jackal named Chandaraka. He was always hungry and always looking for an easy meal. One day, he wandered too close to a human village.

A pack of village dogs spotted him. “Woof! Woof! A stranger!” they barked and began to chase him. Chandaraka was terrified. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He zigzagged through the streets, looking for a place to hide. Seeing an open door to a washerman’s house, he dashed inside.

In the backyard, there was a large wooden vat filled with blue indigo dye used for coloring clothes. In his panic, Chandaraka tried to jump over it but slipped and fell right in! Splash!

He held his breath and stayed very still until the dogs barked and ran past the house. When it was safe, he climbed out of the vat. He was soaking wet, but that wasn’t the strangest thing. The blue dye had stained his fur completely. He was now a bright, brilliant blue from the tip of his nose to the end of his tail!

He ran back to the forest. When the other animals saw him, they were shocked. They had never seen a blue animal before. “What is that creature?” whispered a deer. “Is it a monster?” asked a monkey. “It looks powerful,” said a bear.

Chandaraka realized they didn’t recognize him. He decided to play a trick. “Do not be afraid!” he announced in a deep, serious voice. “I am not an ordinary animal. The Gods have sent me down from the heavens to be your King. My name is Kakudruma, the Blue King. You must all obey me.”

The animals, seeing his strange color, believed him instantly. They bowed down. “Long live the Blue King!” they cheered.

Chandaraka began to enjoy his new life. He appointed the Lion as his Prime Minister, the Tiger as his Bodyguard, and the Wolf as his Doorkeeper. He ordered the other animals to bring him the best food every day. He merely sat on a high rock and ate, while the mighty lions and tigers served him.

But Chandaraka had one worry. He knew that if he saw other jackals, he might accidentally act like one. So, he ordered that all jackals be chased away from his “kingdom.”

Weeks passed. Chandaraka became fat and lazy. One full moon night, while he was holding court, a sound drifted from the far edge of the forest. Aooooo! Aooo! It was a pack of wild jackals howling at the moon.

Now, it is nature’s law that when a jackal hears another howl, he must howl back. Chandaraka forgot he was a King. He forgot he was blue. He forgot where he was. He closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and let out a loud, high-pitched howl.

• “Aooooooo! Aooooooo!”*

The Lion, the Tiger, and the other animals froze. They knew that sound. It was the howl of a common jackal! They looked at their “Blue King” closely. The dye was fading a little around his paws, and his voice was definitely not royal.

“He is just a jackal!” roared the Tiger. “He has tricked us!”

Chandaraka realized his mistake. He didn’t wait to explain. He jumped off his rock and ran as fast as he could, disappearing into the thick bushes. The animals chased him for a while, but he was quick and managed to escape.

He washed the blue dye off in the river and never tried to pretend to be a King again.

Moral of the Story: Be true to yourself. Shallow tricks do not last long.

Moral of the Story: Be true to yourself. You cannot hide who you really are.