A Friendly Mongoose

O

NCE a farmer and his wife lived in a village with their small

son. They loved him very much. “We must have a pet,” the

farmer said to his wife one day. “When our son grows up, he

will need a companion. This pet will be our son’s companion.”

His wife liked the idea.

One evening, the farmer brought with him a tiny

mongoose. “It’s a baby mongoose,” said his wife, “but will

soon be fully grown. He will be a friend to our son.”

Both the baby and the mongoose grew. In five or six

months the mongoose had grown to its full size — a lovely

animal with two shining black eyes and a bushy tail. The

farmer’s son was still a baby in the cradle, sleeping and

crying alternately.

One day, the farmer’s wife wanted to go to the market. She

fed the baby and rocked him to sleep in his little

cradle. Picking up the basket, she said to her husband, “I’m

off to the bazar. The baby is sleeping. Keep an eye on him.

Frankly, I don’t like to leave the child alone with the mongoose.”

“You needn’t be afraid,” said the farmer. “The mongoose

is a friendly animal. It’s as sweet as our baby and they are

the best of friends, you know.”

The wife went away, and the farmer, having nothing to

do in the house, decided to go out and take a look at his

fields not far away. He ran into some friends on the way

back and didn’t return for quite some time.

The farmer’s wife finished her shopping and came back

home with a basketful of groceries. She saw the mongoose

sitting outside as if waiting for her. On seeing her he ran to

welcome her, as was customary. The farmer’s wife took one

look at the mongoose and screamed. “Blood!” she cried. The

face and paws of the mongoose were smeared with blood.

“You wicked animal! You have killed my baby,” she

screamed hysterically. She was blind with rage and with all

her strength brought down the heavy basket full of groceries

on the blood-smeared

mongoose and ran inside

to the child’s cradle.

The baby was fast

asleep. But on the floor

lay a black snake torn

and bleeding. In a flash

she realised what had

happened. She ran out

looking for the mongoose.

“Oh! You saved my

child! You killed the snake! What have I done?” she cried

touching the mongoose, who lay dead and still, unaware of

her sobbing. The farmer’s wife, who had acted hastily and

rashly, stared long at the dead mongoose. Then she heard

the baby crying. Wiping her tears, she went in to feed him.

(a story from The Panchatantra)