The Loyal Mongoose

 

Once upon a time, in a small, cozy house at the edge of a golden wheat field, lived a farmer named Madhav and his wife, Vidya. They had a tiny, laughing baby boy whom they loved more than anything in the world.

One afternoon, Madhav brought home a small, shivering bundle of fur. It was a baby mongoose.

"Look, Vidya," Madhav said, cradling the creature. "This little one has no family. Let’s raise him. He will be a wonderful companion for our son."

Vidya smiled and gave the mongoose some warm milk. "He is very cute. We shall call him Chotu."

Growing Up Together

As the months passed, the baby and Chotu grew up together. They were like brothers. While the baby crawled on the floor, Chotu would playfully scamper around him. When the baby napped, Chotu would curl up at the foot of the cradle, watching over him with his bright, twinkling eyes.

"See how loyal he is?" Madhav would say. "I feel so safe knowing Chotu is there."

However, Vidya was always a little nervous. "He is an animal, Madhav. We must still be careful."

The Afternoon at the Well

One bright morning, Vidya needed to fetch water from the village well. Madhav was already out working in the fields.

"I’m going to the well, Chotu," Vidya whispered as the baby slept soundly in his cradle. "Stay here and guard our little prince. I’ll be back in a flash."

Chotu chirped and wagged his tail, sitting firmly by the door.

While Vidya was away, a long, dark shadow slithered across the floor. A huge black cobra had entered the house through a small hole! Its tongue flicked in and out as it headed straight for the sleeping baby’s cradle.

Chotu’s ears pricked up. He saw the danger instantly. With a fierce hiss, the brave little mongoose leaped into action.

The Great Battle

"Hiss! Stay away from my brother!" Chotu seemed to cry out as he pounced on the snake.

The cobra struck, but Chotu was faster. They tumbled across the floor in a blur of fur and scales. It was a scary fight, but Chotu was determined to protect the baby. Finally, with one last brave leap, the mongoose defeated the snake.

Tired and covered in the snake's blood, Chotu walked to the front porch to wait for Vidya. He wanted to show her how he had saved the day.

The Terrible Mistake

When Vidya returned with her heavy pot of water, she saw Chotu waiting for her. His face and paws were red with blood.

"Oh no!" Vidya screamed, her heart stopping in terror. "You monster! You have hurt my baby!"

In her fear and anger, she didn't stop to think. She dropped the heavy water pot right on poor Chotu. The little mongoose gave one last soft chirp and closed his eyes.

Vidya rushed inside, crying, "My baby! My baby!"

But when she reached the cradle, she found her son fast asleep, dreaming of toys. On the floor next to the cradle lay the huge cobra, dead and torn to pieces.

A Lesson Learned

Vidya’s face turned pale. She realized what had happened.

"What have I done?" she sobbed, rushing back to the porch. "Chotu, you saved my son, and I... I acted without thinking."

Madhav returned from the fields to find Vidya weeping. They buried the loyal mongoose under a shady tree in the garden. From that day on, whenever they looked at the tree, they remembered their brave friend.

The Moral of the Story: Think twice before you act in anger. Haste makes waste, and once a mistake is made, it cannot always be undone.