• The Fighting Goats and the Jackal

Greed leads to painful consequences

In a peaceful meadow surrounded by rolling green hills, there lived a cunning jackal known throughout the forest for his sly tricks and constant search for an easy meal. He preferred to let others do the hard work while he reaped the rewards, often deceiving animals to satisfy his hunger without much effort.

One sweltering afternoon, as the sun blazed high in the sky, the jackal’s sharp eyes caught sight of two powerful goats standing atop a hill. Their postures were tense, their eyes locked in a silent challenge, and it was clear to the jackal that a fierce battle was about to erupt. Sensing an opportunity, he quickly crept into the shadows beneath a nearby tree, deciding to wait and watch. He hoped that after the goats finished fighting, one would be injured—or worse—and he could swoop in for an easy feast.

As predicted, the tension between the goats exploded into action. With a thunderous crash, they charged at each other, their horns clashing violently. Neither goat held back; they pushed, twisted, and slammed into each other, entirely consumed by the fight. So intense was their struggle that they never noticed the jackal silently observing them from below.

With each brutal clash, tiny droplets of blood began to stain the grass. The scent of blood drifted through the air, carried by the breeze, and reached the jackal’s keen nose. His eyes gleamed with hunger, and his mouth began to water. Unable to contain his desire, the jackal crept closer to the battlefield, drawn by the smell. Finding a patch of blood-speckled ground, he eagerly began licking the drops, completely absorbed in the taste and the thought of more to come.

But the jackal’s greed blinded him to the danger. As he feasted, the two goats, still locked in combat, moved closer and closer to where he crouched. Without warning, one of the goats stumbled in his direction. In a sudden, violent motion, both goats collided with the unsuspecting jackal. He let out a loud cry as their horns struck him, the force sending him tumbling through the grass.

Dazed and in pain, the jackal realized his mistake. His hunger had led him too close to danger. Despite the agony pulsing through his body, he gathered his strength and limped away, disappearing into the safety of the forest.

From that day on, the jackal never forgot the painful lesson he had learned: greed can lead even the cleverest to ruin, especially when they underestimate the dangers that lie in the shadows of opportunity.