The Wise Rabbit

Once upon a time, in a dense forest called Madhuban, lived a cruel Lion named Bhasura. He was very strong and very arrogant. Every day, Bhasura went on a rampage. He hunted not just to eat, but to show his power. He chased deer, boars, and rabbits without mercy. The animals of the forest were in a panic. They held a meeting. “If this continues,” said the old Bear, “none of us will be left.” They decided to make a deal with the Lion. They sent a representative to Bhasura’s cave. “O King of the Forest,” they said, bowing low. “Why do you hunt so much? It is tiring for you and bad for us. Stay in your cave. Every day, we will send one animal to you for your meal. You won’t have to lift a paw.” Bhasura liked the idea of free food. “Agreed,” he roared. “But if the meal is late, I will punish you all!”

So, every day, the animals drew lots. One sad animal would walk to the Lion’s cave to be eaten. One day, the lot fell to a little Rabbit. The Rabbit was small, but he was very smart. He didn’t want to die. “I must find a way to save myself and my friends,” he thought. He walked very, very slowly towards the Lion’s cave. He stopped to nibble some grass. He took a nap. He watched the butterflies. By the time he reached the cave, it was late afternoon. Bhasura was pacing back and forth, roaring with hunger and rage. “GRRRRR! Who dares to keep me waiting?”

The little Rabbit bowed. “Forgive me, Your Majesty,” he squeaked. Bhasura glared. “You? You are a tiny snack! And you are late! I will crush you!” “It is not my fault,” said the Rabbit, trembling (pretending to be scared). “Actually, four other rabbits were sent with me to make a full meal. But on the way, another Lion stopped us.” “Another Lion?” roared Bhasura. “In my forest?” “Yes, Your Majesty. A huge lion! He came out of a fortress and said he is the new King. He ate the other four rabbits. I barely escaped to tell you.” Bhasura was furious. “Who is this impostor? I will tear him to pieces! Take me to him!” “Follow me,” said the Rabbit.

The Rabbit led the angry Lion to an old, deep stone well. The water at the bottom was still and clear as a mirror. “He is hiding in there, inside his fortress,” whispered the Rabbit. “He says he is waiting for you.” Bhasura marched to the edge of the well. He looked down. He saw his own reflection in the water. He thought it was the other lion. Bhasura roared, “ROAR!!” The echo from the well roared back, even louder: ROM-ROAR!! Bhasura thought the other lion was challenging him. Crazy with anger, he didn’t think twice. He jumped straight into the well to fight his enemy. SPLASH! He fell into the deep water. There was no other lion to fight, only steep, slippery walls. Bhasura swam and clawed, but he could not get out. He was stuck there forever (until the humans came and took him to a nice zoo far away).

The clever Rabbit hopped back to the other animals. ” The tyrant is gone!” he announced. The whole forest cheered. They lived happily ever after, safe at last.

Moral of the Story: Intelligence is superior to brute strength. A cool head wins over a hot temper.