In a faraway beautiful South Indian city of Sunder Nagar, there lived a kind-hearted merchant named Vardhamana. He had a strong and loyal bull named Sanjivaka. One day, during a business trip, Sanjivaka got injured in a dense forest and couldn’t walk any further. Vardhamana, caring for his friend, left some men to take care of Sanjivaka and continued his journey. However, scared of being alone in the forest, the men left Sanjivaka behind and lied to Vardhamana that the bull had died. But in the heart of the forest, something amazing happened. Sanjivaka, with a strong will to live, recovered all by himself! He grew strong by munching on the lush green grass and sipping the cool water of the Yamuna river. Sanjivaka was so happy and healthy that he bellowed loudly, his joy echoing through the woods.

In the same forest lived a mighty lion named Pingalaka, the king of all animals, with two jackals, Karataka and Damanaka, as his ministers. One sunny day, while Pingalaka was strolling towards the river to quench his thirst, he heard Sanjivaka’s loud bellow. This sound frightened Pingalaka, as he couldn’t figure out what creature made such a noise. He rushed back to his royal den, worried and confused.

The sly jackal Damanaka saw an opportunity to trick the lion king. He convinced Pingalaka that the bellow came from a dangerous monster that threatened their kingdom. Damanaka, pretending to help, offered to investigate the source of the sound.

Damanaka was surprised to find that the “terrifying monster” was just Sanjivaka, the gentle bull. However, Damanaka, with a cunning plan, lied to Pingalaka, claiming that Sanjivaka wanted to overthrow him as the king of the jungle. Pingalaka, influenced by these lies, grew suspicious and fearful of Sanjivaka.

Damanaka then brought Sanjivaka to Pingalaka’s court, pretending to be friendly. But behind this façade, he was plotting against both, fueling misunderstandings and fears. When Sanjivaka approached Pingalaka to talk, the lion, blinded by suspicion, attacked and hurt his innocent friend.

Afterwards, when Pingalaka realized the truth, he felt deep remorse. He understood that he had been tricked into hurting Sanjivaka, who was like a brother to him. The once peaceful forest was now filled with distrust and sadness, all because of Damanaka’s deceit.

This story teaches us an important lesson, my young friends. It shows us how misunderstandings and deceit can destroy friendships. Always seek the truth, trust your friends, and don’t let others influence you with lies. Remember, the most precious thing in the world is the bond of friendship.

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