The Frog King and the Greedy Snake

Moral of the Story: Greed can lead to one’s downfall. It’s important to think about the consequences before making decisions.

Once upon a time, there was a frog named Gangadatta who was the king of all frogs in a well. He had many relatives who always bothered him about little things, and he was tired of them. One day, he decided to leave his kingdom and climbed up the water-wheel.

Gangadatta wanted to teach his annoying relatives a lesson. He saw a snake entering his hole and thought of a plan. He approached the snake and said, “Hello, friend! I am the king of frogs and I want to be friends with you.”

The snake was cautious because he knew that frogs were his natural enemies. He asked, “Who are you? Why are you talking about friendship? Can wood and fire ever be friends? You are my enemy!”

Gangadatta replied, “You’re right. But I want to get back at my relatives who have been bothering me for years. I need your help. I can take you to the well, my old kingdom, and you can eat as many frogs as you want.”

The snake was doubtful. “A well is made of stone layers. I don’t have legs. How can I get into the well? And even if I do, where will I sit and eat the frogs? Go away!”

Gangadatta assured him, “There’s a comfortable hole at the edge of the water where you can sit and eat. I’ll guide you inside the well and to the hole. But you must promise me that you will only eat my annoying relatives and not my friends.”

The snake thought about his old age and decided that this offer was too good to refuse. The greedy snake agreed to the friendship and followed the frog. He went into the hole as promised and ate a frog whenever he was hungry. As time passed, the number of frogs decreased until all the annoying frogs were gone.

One day, the snake told Gangadatta, “There are no more frogs to eat here, only your friends remain. Please give me some more food. You are my friend, and you brought me here, so you are responsible for my food.”

Gangadatta realized his mistake. The snake wanted more, and he could do nothing but watch as the snake ate all the other frogs, including his close friends and his son. The snake was still hungry and wanted Gangadatta to bring more frogs.

Gangadatta realized that he was the only frog left. He told the snake that if he let him leave the well, he would bring frogs from other wells. The snake, being greedy, let Gangadatta go. But even after waiting for several days, Gangadatta did not return.

After a long wait, the snake asked a female lizard living in the well’s walls to tell Gangadatta to come back, as he missed his dear friend. The lizard conveyed the message to Gangadatta, who replied, “Madam, please tell him that I will never return to the well again. He is starving, and a starving person can be cruel and commit any sin.”

In the end, Gangadatta saved himself, and the greedy snake had to perish inside the well without any food.

Moral of the Story “The Frog King and the Greedy Snake” is Greed can lead to one’s downfall. It’s important to think about the consequences before making decisions.