The Clever Donkey

The Clever Donkey

The king of the jungle, the mighty lion, stood beneath a rocky ledge near a spring, peering through dense bushes at a vast field of ripening rice swaying in the distance. Far away, under a tree, he noticed something moving. Rubbing his eyes with his paws, the lion looked again. It was indeed a black deer. The lion had been hungry since nightfall. Just imagining the taste of the deer’s tender meat made his mouth water. Like a skilled hunter, he advanced toward the deer, using the bushes as cover.

At the same time, hidden in a cluster of bamboo, a leopard was also watching the deer intently. Hunger gnawed at his stomach as well. He too began moving toward the deer. The deer, unaware of the dangers closing in from both sides, was peacefully grazing on the soft grass. Occasionally, it lifted its almond-shaped eyes to glance around, then returned to feeding.

Animals can sense danger. The restlessness in the deer’s eyes revealed that it had smelled trouble. It pricked up its ears and turned its neck toward the spring, where two bear cubs were playing in the open field. Just as the deer considered fleeing toward the mountains, the lion and the leopard leapt out from opposite directions and rushed toward it like arrows. The deer bounded away in long leaps, racing toward the hills.

Compared to the lion and the leopard, the deer was slower, but thanks to its light and agile body, it managed to dodge them as it ran. In this desperate chase, the three covered miles of ground. At last, the deer climbed onto a high rock—so steep that neither the lion nor the leopard could climb it. Exhausted, tongues hanging out, they stood below the rock, staring hungrily at the deer. When they caught their breath, the lion spoke.

“This is my prey. I spotted it first.”

The leopard retorted angrily, “You may be the king of the jungle, but this is not the human world where a king does whatever he wants. Animals know how to protect their rights. This is my prey.”

The lion roared, “Whether among humans or animals, the law of might rules everywhere. I am stronger than you.”

Hearing their argument, the deer sighed in relief and said calmly, “My respected king, it would be my honor to become food for such noble members of royalty. But first, you must decide which one of you will enjoy my delicious meat.”

The lion and the leopard resumed their quarrel. Just then, a donkey happened to pass by. Seizing the moment, the deer suggested, “In my opinion, you should seek advice from Mr. Donkey, because giving advice does not require intelligence.”

The lion said, “Very well. In times of need, even a donkey must be treated like a father.”

The leopard barked at the donkey, “Hey, you donkey! Come here!”

At first, the donkey was frightened, thinking they might devour him instead. But nervously, forcing a grin, he approached them. After hearing the entire story, he offered his advice cheerfully. “So, Lion Sahib claims he cast the first evil eye on the deer, while Leopard Sahib claims his mouth watered first. Since there are no witnesses, my advice is this: both of you return to your original positions. When I start braying, you both begin running. Whoever reaches here first will earn the right to eat Mr. Deer.”

Both the lion and the leopard were starving, but proud of their speed, so they accepted the donkey’s suggestion. It was agreed that they would return to their places, while the deer would come down from the rock, freshen up, and stand in the field ready to be eaten. As soon as the donkey began braying in his harsh voice, the race would start.

The lion and the leopard went back to their positions. When a long time passed and the donkey did not bray, both grew suspicious. They glared at each other, then rushed toward the rock. When they reached it, they found nothing but silence and emptiness. The deer was nowhere to be seen, and neither was the donkey.

The lion roared angrily, “That donkey tricked us!”

The leopard lowered his head and said regretfully, “Lion Sahib, the donkey is not him—the donkeys are us.”