Here is a moral story for our young readers. Read and enjoy.

Once upon a time, there lived a jackal in a forest. On a dark, cold night, he wandered into a nearby village looking for food. Chased by a pack of dogs, the jackal jumped over a wall, and landed straight in a large pot of indigo dye! When he emerged from the pond, he was in rich indigo colour.

Puzzled, the jackal returned to the forest. Every animal in the forest was frightened to see him.  They ran away, squealing in terror. The jackal soon realised that the animals were scared of his colour. They did not recognize him as a jackal. Cunning as he was, our jackal decided to seize the opportunity. He hatched a plan. He summoned all the animals to his den. They gathered, trembling.

‘My dear animals, do not be afraid,’ said the jackal. I will not harm you. I am the son of the goddess of this forest. I have been sent to look after you, to make sure you come to no harm. In return, you will have to make me your king, and do as I say. Otherwise the goddess will be angry with you.’

The frightened animals agreed. They made him the king of the forest, and did all that he asked. Several months passed. One day, a pack of jackals came to live in the forest. Whenever the indigo jackal saw them, he felt a strange desire to be with them, to be a jackal once again. One night, when the moon was full, the entire jackal pack lifted their heads up and howled. The indigo jackal could not stop himself. He forgot his lies, lifted up his head and howled with the other jackals.

When the animals heard their king howling like this, they realised that they had been tricked. Their king was nothing but a common jackal! Furious, they tore the jackal into bits.

Moral of the story

Tricksters will be tricked in the end.