A farmer and his wife lived in a small village with their infant son and a pet mongoose. One day, the wife went to the market, leaving the baby in the care of the mongoose, whom she trusted as a family member. While she was away, a venomous black cobra entered the house and crawled toward the child's cradle. The brave mongoose immediately attacked the snake, fighting a fierce battle until the cobra lay dead. When the wife returned, the mongoose ran to the door to greet her, his mouth and paws stained with blood. Consumed by a sudden, horrific fear that the animal had killed her baby, the woman acted in a fit of blind rage. She threw her heavy water pot at the mongoose, crushing it instantly. When she rushed inside, she found her baby sleeping peacefully and the mangled remains of a snake nearby. Overcome with devastating grief, she realized she had killed her loyal protector through her own impulsive haste.
Never act in haste or anger without knowing the full truth; an impulsive decision can lead to lifelong regret.
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Questions about this story
What is the moral of The Mongoose and the Farmer's Wife?
The moral is to avoid acting in haste or out of anger. It teaches that one should always verify the facts before making a life-changing or irreversible decision.
Who wrote The Mongoose and the Farmer's Wife?
The story is part of the Panchatantra, an ancient Indian collection of interrelated animal fables in Sanskrit, attributed to the scholar Vishnu Sharma.
Why did the farmer's wife kill the mongoose?
She saw blood on the mongoose's mouth and immediately assumed it had harmed her baby. In her panic and grief, she acted before checking on the child.
What actually happened to the baby in the story?
The baby was completely safe and sleeping. The mongoose had actually saved the baby's life by fighting off and killing a venomous cobra.
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