Long ago a lion lived in a dense forest. He was big, fierce and strong and thus all the other animals accepted him as their king. He was also very kind at heart and hunted only when he was hungry. The animals in the forest lived happily as they knew that they would never be hunted for pleasure by their king.
He once thought that as the king of this forest, I am entitled to have courtiers. He began to think who he should choose as his courtiers. After a while, he decided to call three animals – a fox, a leopard and a crow.
All the three animals came promptly to see their king.
He said to the fox, “You are known to be a very clever animal. From this day, you will be one of my courtiers. Henceforth, you will be my chief advisor.”
He turned towards the leopard and said, “You are known to be very swift, alert and strong. I appoint you as my bodyguard. You will protect me against any danger that I may face in this forest.”
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It was now the crow’s turn. The king said, “You are a bird and can fly very fast. You are also familiar with every inch of this forest and the adjoining areas. I appoint you as my messenger. You can let me know in which part of the forest I should go for food, water and shelter.”
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The fox, the leopard and the crow took oaths to always remain loyal to their king. In return, the lion promised that they will always have food to eat and will be protected from other animals in the forest.
The three courtiers started following the king anywhere he went. His wish was their command. They never opposed him and never left any opportunity to please him. In return, after each kill, the lion used to leave his leftovers for the courtiers to finish. The leftovers were sufficient for them so they always had more than enough to eat. Whichever animal they felt like eating, they used to lead the king to that animal and thus ensured that their own desires were fulfilled.
One day the crow came to the king and said, “O’ Mighty Lord, have you ever eaten a camel’s meat. I had once eaten it in the desert which is at the other end of the forest. It was very tasty.”
The lion had never eaten any camel as there were none in the forest. But he really like the idea of eating camel meat. He told the crow to find a camel in the forest that he could eat.
“Camels never enter the forest as they fear they might get killed. They only stay in the desert. While I was coming here, I saw a camel in the desert. He was alone and looked very big and fat.” the crow spread his wings wide to show. “If we move at once, we may be able to catch up with him” said the crow.
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The lion had never been towards the desert. So he asked the fox and the leopard whether they should go looking for the camel or not. The fox and the leopard, too, had never been in the desert before. But they did not want to show their ignorance in front of their king.
The fox said, “Your Majesty, I think it would be a good idea to look for the camel. If it is really as big as the crow described it to be, then we might not have the need to hunt for the next few days”.
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The leopard concurred with the fox. He said, “The crow can fly high, spot the camel easily and can lead us to him.”
All the four left at once for the desert in search of the camel. At the edge of the jungle, the desert started. Once they were out in the desert, there was not even a trace of a shady tree or water. As the blazing sun beat down on them, the sand below them became hotter with each passing moment. But they kept walking, all the while thinking about camel meat.
The crow, who was flying high up in the cool breeze, called out, “Let’s hurry up Your Majesty. I can see the camel, not too far from here.”
But the lion was very tired and had burnt his paws. He could walk no more and lay down under the sparse shade of a thorny bush.
Let’s go back to the forest. I don’t care for camel meat” said the lion.
The advisors were shocked to hear this. They knew that they had left the forest far behind and it was not possible for the king to walk back since he had burnt his paws. The leopard and the fox too had burnt their paws and did not want to walk back to the forest. They also did not want to go back with empty stomachs.
The clever fox immediately thought of a plan. He asked the leopard to wait alongside the king and asked the crow to lead him to the camel.
When the fox saw the camel he said, “Hello my friend. The king of the forest needs your help. He is not well and cannot walk. You can help him by carrying him back to the forest. You will be rewarded for helping him in this hour of need”.
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The young camel was very innocent and at once agreed to help. He followed the fox to the spot where the lion was lying. The leopard and the lion were pleased to see the camel.
The fox presented the camel to the lion and said, “Climb on to the camel’s back, Your Majesty. He will take us back to the forest.”
The lion at once jumped on to the camel’s back. The fox and the leopard too sat behind him. The camel brought them safely back to the forest.
The three advisors were very pleased with their plan. They had reached the forest safely and also brought their food with them. They began to wait for their king to kill the animal to start their feast.
The lion could read their mind. He turned towards the camel and said, “You have saved my life. I offer you a position in my court and promise to protect you from any danger.”
The three courtiers were shocked to hear this. “Did we not save the king’s life”, they thought.
The king ordered the three of them to find some food for him since he had burnt his paws and would not be able to hunt for a few days. They went in search of food but did not go too far and sat down to discuss their next move.
The fox thought of another plan to kill the camel and told his two friends about the plan. They agreed that it was a good plan. The three then went back to the king.
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Upon reaching there, the crow spoke first,” O’ Mighty King, we were unable to find any food in the forest. Hence, I offer myself to you. You can eat me and fill your stomach.”
The fox jumped in. “You are too small. I have more flesh than you. Let the king eat me instead.”
“I am much bigger and have more flesh than both of you. The king should eat me.” said the leopard.
The camel was watching all this. He said, “Your Majesty, you should eat me. I am the largest and all of you will have food to eat. These three are more useful to you than I am.”
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Hearing this, the three courtiers became ready to pounce on the camel. But the king had other plans.
He said, “Very well. I will eat all of you in the order that you have presented yourself. First I will eat…”
Before the king could finish his sentence, the crow flew away, the fox and leopard ran away as fast as they could. Only the camel stood his ground, puzzled.
The king laughed loudly. He turned towards the camel and said, “You have been loyal and true. From this day forth, we shall be friends.”
The camel was surprised and very happy to hear this.
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