One day the lion called the hyena, the leopard and the snake and said to them:
- Let's build a hut and live together.
Leopard said:
“You came up with a good idea, but I’m afraid we won’t get along together.” Each of us has our own habits. Hyena said:
— The leopard speaks the truth. But we can agree on everything in advance, and then we will have nothing to argue about. Lev said:
- As for me, I can get along with everyone. But I have one weakness, and I would like you to know about it - I do not like dust.
Hyena said:
- Okay, we will remember your words. What will the leopard say now?
Leopard said:
“I have an easy-going disposition, you know that.” But I can't stand being stared at. If they look at me one more time, I am not responsible for myself.
-Did you hear what the leopard said? - asked the hyena. The lion and the snake replied:
- Yes, we heard. We now know what the leopard doesn’t like. We won't look at him.
Hyena said:
“Now I want everyone to listen to me.”
- Speak. We are listening, said the lion, leopard and snake. Hyena said:
— When I eat, I don’t like to be asked to share my spoils. I don't like beggars.
-Did you hear what the hyena said? - asked the lion.
“We heard,” answered the leopard and the snake. - We heard and will remember.
“Now listen to me,” said the snake. “What I want to ask of you is a complete trifle.” Please don't step on my tail. That's all.
Then the lion said to the leopard and the hyena:
-Did you hear? The leopard and the hyena replied:
- Yes, we heard. And we will remember her words. After this, the lion, hyena, leopard and snake built themselves a large hut and began to live together.
It happened one day that a jackal passed by the hut. He stopped at the entrance and said loudly:
- Hello, dead!
And I wanted to leave. But the lion heard his words and shouted:
- Jackal! Why do you call us dead? We are all alive and well!
Then the jackal replied:
- Yes, you are still alive! But you have so little time left to live that even now you can be called dead!
- But why do you think so? - the lion was surprised. “We promised each other to live together and never quarrel.” The Jackal grinned.
“It’s easy to promise, but difficult to fulfill.” And if someone raises dust near you, what will you say then? And where will the leopard’s complaisance go if someone looks at it one more time? What will happen to the hyena if someone asks it to share its prey? And what will happen to a gentle snake if its tail is stepped on? But sooner or later all this will certainly happen, and you will all quarrel to death. So how can I not call you dead?
The jackal left. And the lion, hyena, leopard and snake still remained together.
One day a leopard brought a goat from a hunt. At this time the hyena came. She was very hungry. She spent the whole day scouring the forest and returned home with nothing. The hyena saw how the leopard was dealing with its prey, stopped next to it, and could not take its eyes off it. The leopard looked back and was immediately overcome with anger. With a growl, the leopard rushed at the hyena, and they rolled on the ground.
Dust rose in the air from their fuss.
The lion smelled the dust and rushed at the hyena and leopard. He killed them with one blow of his paw. But he accidentally stepped on the snake’s tail.
The snake hissed, raised its head and bit the lion.
The lion fell to the ground in pain. With his weight he crushed the snake and himself gave up the ghost, poisoned by the snake's venom.
At this time, the jackal approached their house again.
- Peace to you, residents of the house! - he said. But no one answered him.
The jackal entered the hut and saw that the lion, hyena, leopard and snake were lying dead.
“I said it would end like this, and look!” - that’s how it happened. It’s easy to promise in words, but it’s difficult to keep what you promise.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru