The Crane and the Mongoose

The moral of this story: The solution to a problem should not be worse than the problem itself. That is, while trying to solve a problem, you should not make it more complicated.

Once upon a time, beside a lake, there was a huge Banyan tree where many cranes nested. In the hollow at the foot of the tree lived a poisonous black snake. He used to climb up and eat the crane’s babies after they were hatched.

One crane, who had lost her babies to the cunning black snake, started crying on the banks of the lake. A crab, who was nearby, heard the crane crying and asked, “Why are you crying, aunty?”

The crane replied, “I am an unlucky mother. All of my babies have been eaten by the wicked black snake who lives in the hollow of the tree. What else can I do but cry? I would have killed the snake if I could!”

The crab thought for a while and said to herself, “I have to come up with a plan to have the black snake killed and have the cranes destroyed at the same time. The cranes are our natural enemy. I will tell her half-truths and half-lies to my advantage.”

So, the crab said to the crane, “Aunty! I will tell you a plan to get rid of the black snake. All you have to do is scatter some fish and meat from a nearby burrow where a mongoose lives to the snake’s hollow. When the mongoose follows the food and reaches the snake’s home, he will certainly kill him!”

The crane agreed to do as the crab planned. As expected, the mongoose saw the black snake while following the trail of food. They had a fight and the mongoose killed the snake.

After this, the mongoose realized that there were many cranes on top of the trees. In due course of time, he climbed up the trees and started killing them until all of them were destroyed.

The moral of this story “The Crane and the Mongoose” is The solution to a problem should not be worse than the problem itself. That is, while trying to solve a problem, you should not make it more complicated.