The Courage Of The Woodcutter | Bedtime Stories
Once upon a time there was a lion, “the king of animals” in a forest. Wherever it goes, a crow and a fox will accompany it. After the lion catches prey and eats the prey, the crow and the fox will eat what is left.
A woodcutter lived in a village near the forest. Every day he would go into the forest with his axe to cut down the trees.
One day when he was cutting down a tree he heard a noise behind him and looked back. Nearby a lion was standing ready to attack him.
He is a man full of knowledge. Immediately he said, “Hello,King of the forest! I am very happy to see you.”
The amazed lion said, “Are you glad to see me?. Aren’t you afraid to see me?.” He replied, “I value you very much. I was hoping to meet you here one day. The reason is that my wife cooks food very well. I want you to taste the lentils and vegetables she cooks.”
“Lentils and vegetables? Don’t you know I eat only meat?” Asked the lion with much surprise.
“If you once eat the food cooked by my wife, then you will stop eating meat,” he said proudly.
The lion accepted the invitation of the woodcutter. Lion thought, “Fortunately, the crow and the fox are not with me now, if they were with me they would look at me and laugh.” The lion was amazed to learn that there was delicious firewood food.
After finishing the lunch it said, “I have never eaten such delicious good food before,” the lion told him.
“Your Majesty, you must come here to share with me the food I bring every day. But no one else should know this friendship between us. You must come alone” said the woodcutter.
The lion assured him that it would eat the food that he brings every day. Unusually, their friendship grew stronger day by day.
The crow and the fox were eager to know why the lion had stopped hunting.
“If the lion doesn’t hunt anymore, we will both starve to death” said the fox sadly.
You are correct, crow said, “We must try to find out what happened to the lion.”
The next day they both followed the lion after a short pause. They saw the lion eating the food brought by the woodcutter.
“Oh, is this why the lion is not going to hunt nowadays?” Said the fox.
He continued, “We have to make the lion hunt again. For that, we have to break the friendship the lion has with the woodcutter. In that case, the lion will start hunting for prey again.”
That evening when the lion returned to its den the crow and the fox were waiting for it.
“Leader, why have you forgotten us?. Will we all go hunting together as before?” The crow and the fox begged the lion.
“No. I met a human friend. After that I changed my old routine. Now I have completely stopped eating meat,” the lion replied.
“Then can we meet your friend too?” asked the crow.
The next day the woodcutter waited for the lion to arrive. Suddenly new voices were heard. The woodcutter will always be careful, even if he is the smartest.
Immediately he climbed a tall tree. In the distance he saw the lion coming. He also saw a crow and a fox coming with it. He told himself that, “the friendship I had with the lion would not last long because they were both coming together.”
The lion came near the tree and called for a woodcutter. “Come down and join us. I am your friend” the lion called to him.
“You can be my friend. But, you have broken your promise to me.l told you that no one should know about our friendship, but you cheated me. You have come with your friends. Your friends can make you kill me too. That is why it is better for you to forget our friendship.” said the woodcutter.
Justice: Courage and wisdom save lives!