A flock of cranes once had their nests on a fig tree in a part of a forest. In the hollow of the same tree lived a cobra that used to feed on the eggs and crane chicks before their wings sprouted.
At last mother crane, in utter woe at seeing her young ones eaten by the cobra, went to the shore of the pond, and began to weep. And a crab who noticed her in sorrow, said: “Madam, why are you so tearful today?” “My good friend,” said the mother crane, “what am I to do? Every day, the cobra living in fig tree is killing our children. I am not able to contain my grief. Tell me, is there any possible way to kill him?”
The crab then thought, “These cranes are our born enemies. I shall give her advice that is misleading and suicidal. That will see the end of all these cranes. Elders have always said that if you want to wipe out your enemy your words should be soft like butter and your heart like a stone.”
And he said aloud: “Madam, strew pieces of meat from the mongoose’s burrow to the hollow of the cobra. The mongoose will follow the trail of meat to the cobra’s home and will kill it.”
When this had been done, the mongoose followed the bits of fish, killed the villainous snake, and also ate at his leisure all the cranes who made their home in the tree.
