The Story of the Hares and the Elephants

” ‘In a certain place, there lived an elephant king andwith him, his retinue. The king’s name was Chatura danta. ” ‘Once there was no rain for a good many years and the lakes and ponds all dried up. The elephants went to their king and said to him, “Your Maj styl Parchedby thirst, some of our little ones have already died, whilst the rest of them are on the verge of death. Wemust find some place where we can drink as muchwater as we want to.” ” ‘After deep reflection, their leader replied, “I knowa place where there is a big lake which is always full, because it is fed by an underground water supply. We’llgo there.” ” ‘And so the elephants marched five days and fivenights, and early the following morning, reached thelake. ” ‘Now, in the soft earth, around the lake, there wereinnumerable holes, the homes of the hares. When theelephants plunged jubilantly into the water, these holeswere destroyed. and many hares were trampledunderneath. Quite a. few died, whilst there were otherswho were seriously injured. ” ‘When the elephants had left the lake, the survivinghares assembled, crying pitifully, “Oh, dear, dear, dear! Because water is not to ·he had anywhere else, the seelephants are bound to come here everyday and trampleon us. We must think what to do.” ” ‘Then one of them said, “What else -can we do butleave this place?” ” ‘But the other hares replied, “What, friend! Give up. our ancestral home so suddenly! It’s impossible! No, wemust frighten the elephants so much that they neverthink of coming back. We are only hares but still we · are capable of it.”

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” ‘Then one of them said, “I know a way to frightenthem off but we will need a very clever diplomat whois good at pretending. My plan is this: This fellowapproaches the elephant king and says1 that he has beensent by Chandrama. Be tells him th; lt qhandrama forbidsthe elephants to come to the lake, lrecause it’s the homeof the hares, his people. Now, if the elephant king istaken in by this story, he will go away.” -“‘Veil,” said another hare, “we have, amongst us, Lambakarana who is very clever and an e?’cellent talker. We can. send him, for they say: ‘A messenger should be someone Who has wits, good looks and an unselfish nature, An excellent conversationalist,, with a thoroughknowledge of the shastras, Someone who underst ands the minds of otherpeople.’ ” ” ‘Then the other hares said, “You are right! We willcarry out your plan. There seems to be no other wayof saving our lives.” ” ‘And so, Lambakarana was sent to the elephant kirig. After he had walked some way from the lake, he.came cross a hillock which lay in the path of the elephants-, but was too high for them to reach. He sat down onit. When the elephant king passed by with his herd, the hare cried out to him, threateningly, “Hey, you! Wickedelep hant! Don’t you dare approach this lake! It belongsto Chandrama. Go back’!” ” ‘The elephant king was taken by surprise and saidto the hare, “Who ar, e y, ou?” -“M y name is Lambakarana,” replied the hare, “and Iam Chandrama’s messenger. He has sent me to you! “:“Hare! ” said the elephant king. “Tell me his messageimmediately and we will obey him! ” -“The message is-this,” said Lambakarana. ” I f you wantto stay alive, don’t ever return to this lake again. For, yesterday you visited the lake and trampled oninnumerable hares, who are under my protection.”

-“I see,” replied the elephant king. “Well, where is Lord Chandrama now?” -“He has come down to the lake himself to consolethe surviving hai: es,” said Lambakarana. -“Then lead me to him,” said the elephant king, “so ‘. that I can beg his forgiveness and then go away.” -“All right then,” said. Lambakarana, “come along withme.” ” ‘Uy now, it was evening. The hare took the elephantking to the bank of the lake and showed him thereflection of the moon in the water. -“Our Master is sitting in deep medi, tation,” he said. “Bow to him silently an_d leave, for if you distub himwhle he is meditating, he will be furious with you ” ·” ‘Accordingly, the elephant bowed from a distanceand went away trembling. And from that day onward the hares lived happily ever after. · -‘And s9,’ continued die crow, ‘that’s why I said: “The mere utte rance of a great man’s name Helps you get out of difficulties. The hares mentioned the name of Chandrama And lived happily ever after.” -‘And another thing, if you want to stay alive, don’telect a sly and vicious king. As they say: “The hare and the partridge were destroyed Because they chose a sly and vicious arbitrator.” ‘ -‘How was tha.t?’ asked the birds. And the crow told:

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What is the moral of THE STORY OF THE HARES AND THE ELEPHANTS?

The moral is: To value wisdom and make thoughtful decisions. This story teaches us that every action has consequences, and we must think carefully about the impact of our choices on ourselves and others.

What collection does THE STORY OF THE HARES AND THE ELEPHANTS belong to?

THE STORY OF THE HARES AND THE ELEPHANTS is from the Jataka Tales, an ancient literary work. The Jataka Tales is a timeless collection of stories that teaches important life lessons through memorable tales.

What age group is THE STORY OF THE HARES AND THE ELEPHANTS suitable for?

THE STORY OF THE HARES AND THE ELEPHANTS is best suited for Ages 6-10. Younger children will enjoy hearing it read aloud for its engaging narrative, while older children can read it independently and explore the deeper meanings and moral lessons embedded in the story.