The Consequence of Greed

Once upon a time, deep in a dense forest, lived a tigress with her three little cubs. They led a peaceful and happy life. The tigress loved her children dearly. She would do everything for them—feed them, protect them, and keep them warm. Her days passed in joy, watching her cubs play and grow. They were her world, and nothing was more precious to her than their safety and happiness.

The forest was too hot to bear one summer day as the sun scorched the earth. The trees stood still in the heat, and even the birds had gone silent. The tigress and her cubs were extremely thirsty. They had been searching for water for a long time, and finally, they found a river nearby. Without any hesitation, they hurried toward it. What they didn’t know was that danger was lurking beneath the calm surface of the river. There, a terrifying crocodile had established itself and was waiting for the ideal opportunity to strike. As the tigress gently helped her cubs drink from the river, the crocodile silently crept closer under the water. Then, in a flash, it lunged forward and grabbed the youngest cub in its powerful jaws. The little cub screamed, but within seconds, the crocodile had dragged him into the deep waters. The tigress was caught off guard. By the time she turned around, her cub had vanished. She looked around, bewildered and heartbroken, but couldn’t understand what had just happened.

hat hThe eldest cub had seen everything. He had watched silently from a distance as the crocodile snatched his younger brother away. But he chose not to say a word. In his heart, he thought, “Now that my younger brother is gone, mother will give me more attention, more food, and more love. I won't have to compete for anything anymore.” Blinded by jealousy and greed, he remained silent.

When they returned home, the tigress looked everywhere for her missing cub. She called out his name again and again, but there was no response. Her heart ached, and tears rolled down her eyes. Still, she couldn't figure out what had gone wrong. The eldest cub stayed quiet, pretending to be sad, though deep inside, he felt content that now he didn’t have to share.

A few days passed, and once again, the scorching sun made the forest unbearably hot. The tigress and her two remaining cubs became thirsty again. They had no choice but to return to the same river. The tigress hesitated, but the heat forced her to go back. This time too, she helped her cubs drink carefully. But the crocodile had been watching, patiently waiting for another chance. Suddenly, it leapt out again and grabbed the middle cub. Just like before, it dragged him into the depths of the river. The tigress turned around just a moment too late. Her second son was gone.ad just happened.

Again, the eldest cub saw everything unfold. Yet, he said nothing. In his mind, he thought, “Now I’m the only one left. All the food, all the love—everything will be mine. There’s no one else to share with now.” While his mother cried once more in agony, confused and crushed, he remained silent. Days turned into weeks. The tigress, now filled with sorrow, grew quieter. She tried her best to stay strong for her only remaining cub. The forest was no longer the same happy place it used to be. The tigress and her oldest cub grew thirsty once more when the unbearable heat returned. Despite her fear, the tigress took her son to the river. She was alert this time, her eyes scanning the water for any movement.

As they bent down to drink, the crocodile struck again. It lunged at the eldest cub, grabbing him fiercely and trying to pull him into the water. But this time, the tigress saw everything. Without a second’s hesitation, she roared and jumped into the river. She fought the crocodile with all her strength. The battle was fierce, and the water splashed violently as the two beasts struggled. At last, the tigress managed to claw the crocodile and free her son. Exhausted and wounded, she pulled him to the riverbank.

Shivering and sobbing, the eldest cub looked into his mother’s eyes and broke down. He told her, "Mother... I saw the crocodile take both of my younger brothers," through tears. I saw everything. But I remained silent. I was greedy. I thought if they were gone, I would get more food, more love. I never imagined it would come to this.”

The tigress’s eyes welled with tears. She looked at her son not with anger, but with deep sorrow. She said, “My child, if only you had spoken up that day, your brothers might still be alive. We could have avoided this pain. You wouldn’t have had to face this danger. Greed may seem rewarding at first, but it only brings destruction. Remember, true happiness comes not from taking more, but from caring for others.”

From that day on, the eldest cub changed. He never let greed enter his heart again. He lived with his mother, helping her and remembering his lost brothers every day. And the tigress, though still burdened by sorrow, took comfort in knowing her last cub had finally learned the true meaning of love and honesty.

The End