Once upon a time, a peacock was sitting in the forest and bitterly complained about his loneliness. It happened that a jackal ran past. He saw a peacock and asked him:
- Why are you so sad, brother? The peacock was at first frightened by the jackal, but then, plucking up courage, he answered with a sigh:
- Oh brother! Even though I live in such a big forest, I don’t have anyone with whom I could share grief or joy. This is what I yearn for.
Hearing these words, the jackal took pity on the peacock and said:
- You know what, peacock, let's be friends! I give you my word that from today I will not offend you in any way.
The peacock was delighted, and they became friends: they jumped, danced and sang together all day long. And they fell in love with each other so much that they even ate together.
Time passed. Once a peacock picked a large, juicy cherry plum, and a jackal brought a young lamb. They both sat down next to each other and began to eat their food. Having eaten the cherry plum, the peacock dug holes in the ground, one next to the other, threw a cherry plum seed into each of them, covered the holes with earth and, with importance spreading his tail, said:
“Whenever I eat cherry plum, I bury the seeds in the ground. This has long been the custom in our family of peacocks. Time will pass, a large tree will grow from the seed, and fruits will appear on it. I may not have to eat this cherry plum, but still I am glad: someone else will eat the cherry plum, thank me, and my soul will rejoice.
The jackal did not like these words of the peacock. He was offended and, after thinking a little, said:
“Although our genus of jackals eats meat, we have long had the custom of throwing bones into the ground. Every time I eat lamb, I throw its bones into the ground.
Having said this, he dug holes in the ground, one next to the other, threw a lamb bone into each and covered it with earth.
Then both of them, the jackal and the peacock, dancing merrily, went for a walk. Days passed after days. One day the peacock said to the jackal:
- Let's go, brother, look at the field that we sowed. Otherwise, lest some animal spoil our plantings.
The jackal began to make excuses, but the peacock insisted on his own, and both friends came to the place where the cherry plum bones and lamb bones were buried. They saw a small bush that came out of the ground. It was a cherry plum.
- Look how my cherry plum sways in the wind. “Soon it will grow and bear fruit,” said the peacock and looked to where the jackal had buried the bones of the lamb. Nothing grew in that place. A mockery flashed in the peacock's eyes. The Jackal noticed this and said:
“Lamb bones don’t germinate that quickly.” They need to lie in the ground for a long time before sprouting.
The peacock smiled mockingly, and the jackal got angry, but restrained himself and pretended not to notice anything.
Several months have passed. From time to time the peacock went to the field and invited the jackal with him. The jackal really didn’t want to go there, but nothing could be done: it was impossible to upset his friend, and he did not contradict the peacock.
The cherry plum grew and blossomed, and the peacock was very happy about it. And the jackal, at the sight of the bones, which lay in the ground just as he had laid them, despaired and grieved. He knew well that the bones of the lamb would not sprout and that he had lied to the peacock. But how else could he maintain the honor of his family? Therefore, when the peacock innocently asked: “Listen, friend, when will the bones you planted finally grow?” - the jackal answered him:
– Bones don’t grow back that quickly. They need to lie in the ground for a long time before sprouting.
The peacock only laughed in response, and the jackal became furious, but still suppressed his anger in order to maintain friendship.
And then the day came when the cherry plum was covered with large ripe berries. The peacock picked them and began to eat. The jackal was right there. Unfortunately, the hunt did not bring him luck, and he silently sat on the sidelines. And the peacock, seeing that the jackal was sad and did not eat anything, began to make fun of him:
- Apparently, your harvest will ripen in the next century! If you had planted a cherry plum, you would now be enjoying the ripe berries!
The jackal, dejected, sat silent, and the peacock continued to mock him. Then, having eaten the cherry plum, he began to throw the seeds into the takala and said:
- Brother! How I feel sorry for you! Take these seeds, plant them, and at least next year you can enjoy them!
Fury bubbled up in the jackal's soul. He could no longer hold back and attacked the peacock:
“Even though the bones of the lamb did not sprout, I will eat you and satisfy my hunger!”
And he tore the peacock to pieces and ate it.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru