Never Seek Advice from an Enemy ~ Short Stories

 

Many families of storks had made their homes on a huge banyan tree in a forest. A deadly cobra also lived in the hollow of that tree. Whenever the cobra got an opportunity, it came out of the hole and ate the fledglings. The storks were miserable but did not know what to do to stop the killing of their offsprings. Their chief, one day sat near a pond shedding tears when a crab passed by. The crab was happy to see his natural enemy in that miserable state. He extended fake sympathy and asked the reason for the stork's distress.

The stork related the tale of his misery. The crab thought that it was a good opportunity to settle scores with his natural enemies. He said, "Uncle, the solution of your problem is simple. Spread fish meat from the burrow of a mongoose to the hollow of the tree where the cobra lives. The mongoose will come eating the meat and finding a snake, will kill it."

The stork liked the idea and left a trail of dead fish from the burrow of the mongoose to the tree. The mongoose saw it and came eating the fish. As he reached the hollow of the tree, he found the cobra coiled inside pounced on it and killed it.

As he looked around, he saw a lot of storks living there and started killing them one by one till the entire flock was liquidated. This story tells us that never be friends or take advice from your enemy.