The Hunter and The Jackal

The Hunter and The Jackal

Once, in a village named Ramgarh resided a hunter Shanker with his wife and 2 children. Everyday, he used to go to the jungle to hunt animals. This was his occupation by means of which he earned a living for his family. One day, he left his house with the goal to hunt down a deer in the forest.

Fortunately, he could find a deer easily. He killed the deer instantly. Taking the dead deer on his shoulders, he started heading towards his house.

On the way back home, he spotted a wild boar. He thought to himself, “Today is a lucky day for me. I have another animal to hunt down. My family will have a stomach filling meal for the next two days.” Thinking so, he immediately dropped the dead dear down and struck the boar with his arrow. Having missed his aim, the arrow struck the boar on the side of the neck. The boar cried out in anger and pain.

Seeing the hunter, he charged towards him and hit the hunter’s stomach with its pointed tusks. The hunter shouted in agony and dropped on the ground. The tusks had pierced inside the body of the hunter. Within a few minutes, the hunter and the boar lay dead on the ground.

After a few minutes, a jackal passed the spot where the hunter and the boar were lying dead. He walked a few steps ahead and found a dead dear too. The jackal was hungry and he was surprised to find so much food for himself. He said to himself, “I am so lucky to find so much to eat in one day. I didn’t have to make any efforts to kill any of them. I will however, eat them one by one so that the meal can last for as long as 3 days. I don’t have to hunt for food till then. I am going to have a feast for the next 3 days and a peaceful sleep.”

Thinking so, he began to lick the arrow. The moment he ate the pointed arrow, it stuck to his jaw and pierced inside his mouth. Unable to withstand the pain, the jackal too died on the spot.

Thus the hunter and the Jackal died a sudden death out of greed to acquire more. If they would have been satisfied they would have been alive.

One never gets paid for being greedy. Greed always results in loss. One should be satisfied with what one acquires