The Three Cows and the Cunning Lion

The Three Cows and the Cunning Lion

BY:Khan

Once upon a time, in a lush green forest, there lived three cows together. One was white, the second was black, and the third was brown. The forest was full of green grass to eat and a clear, sparkling stream that provided them with fresh water to drink. The three cows loved each other dearly and always stayed together. Whenever a wild animal tried to attack them, they would unite and fight back bravely, forcing the enemy to run away.

One day, a lion wandered into that forest. The greenery, fresh air, and abundance of life made the lion very happy. As he was thinking about making this beautiful forest his new home, his eyes fell upon the three cows grazing peacefully near the stream. “Ah,” he thought greedily, “three fat, juicy meals! But how can I hunt them all at once?”

The lion was cunning. He decided not to attack them immediately. Instead, he approached them politely, bowed his head, and said in a soft voice, “Dear beautiful cows, may I stay in this forest as your guest for a few days? I promise not to harm anyone.”

The cows looked at one another thoughtfully. “We are three, and he is alone,” they whispered among themselves. “Even if he stays here, what harm can he do?” So, they agreed and happily allowed the lion to live in the forest with them.

Days passed. The cows continued to graze on fresh green grass, while the lion hunted small animals to satisfy his hunger. But the lion’s eyes were always on the cows. He dreamed of eating them but knew that as long as they were united, he could not touch them. Eventually, small animals began to flee the forest out of fear of the lion, and soon, he found it difficult to find food. Many days passed with him starving.

One day, the lion thought, “If these cows were not together, I could easily eat them one by one. But first, I must break their friendship.” He began plotting.

The next morning, he went to the black and brown cows and said sweetly, “My dear friends, I’ve been thinking—this white cow is a problem for all of us. Her bright color can be seen from far away. If a human passes through the forest and spots her, he will surely notice us too. Then hunters will come and catch us all. But you both have dark colors like mine; we blend in with the forest. Don’t you see the danger she brings?”

The black and brown cows looked at each other nervously. “He’s right,” they thought. “If a human sees her, we all might be caught.” The lion could tell that his words were working. He continued, “If you both agree, I can take care of this problem. Once she’s gone, we’ll all be safe.”

The two cows hesitated for a moment, then nodded slowly. The lion, smiling wickedly, attacked the white cow when she was alone and devoured her.

Days passed. Now only the black and brown cows were left. The lion soon grew hungry again, and his greedy eyes turned toward the black cow. He went to the brown cow and began to whisper again, “My dear friend, have you noticed? Your color and mine are almost the same. We look alike from a distance. But this black cow—she stands out. She might get us noticed by hunters. Wouldn’t it be better if she weren’t around?”

The foolish brown cow still didn’t understand that the lion was the real enemy. She said worriedly, “You’re right, but what should we do?”

“Don’t worry,” said the lion smoothly. “Leave it to me. Once she’s gone, you and I will rule this forest together.”

The brown cow foolishly agreed, and soon the black cow met the same fate as the white one.

Now, only the brown cow and the lion remained in the forest. For some time, everything seemed peaceful. But one day, the lion came to her and said, “I’m very hungry, and there’s nothing left to eat in this forest except you.”

The brown cow was terrified. “What are you saying?” she cried. “You promised that we would live as friends!”

The lion laughed cruelly. “Oh, silly cow! How could you ever believe that a lion could be a friend to a cow? Lions eat cows—that’s the law of nature!”

The brown cow trembled in fear. In that final moment, she thought sorrowfully, “If only my white and black friends were alive today, the lion would never have dared to attack me.” She finally understood that the lion’s real plan had been to eat all three of them. He had first divided them, and once they were no longer united, he destroyed them one by one.

When the cows were together in unity and friendship, even a powerful beast like the lion could not harm them. But when selfishness and mistrust took their place, their strength vanished—and so did their lives.

Moral of the Story:
Unity is strength. When people stand together with love and trust, even the strongest enemy cannot defeat them. But when we let greed, selfishness, or gossip divide us, we become weak and easy to destroy.