An interesting story for children to warn against bad friends. Bad friends approach you to achieve personal interests and evil purposes that benefit only them, without caring about others’ affairs.
Story Events: One day, in a deep forest lived the lion, the king of the forest, with his three friends: the wolf, the crow, and the snake. The three friends were always in the service of the lion and obeying him to fulfill their selfish goals.
Seeing a Stray Camel: One day, the three friends went out to roam the forest. From afar, they saw a stray camel that seemed confused and trying to find its correct way back. The snake said: Look at this big camel. It doesn’t seem to come from our forest. Let’s kill it and eat it. The wolf said: No, it’s a big animal. Let’s go and tell our king the lion first. The crow said: Yes, that’s a good idea. Certainly, the king of the forest will order it to be killed, and we can get our share of the meat after King Lion kills it.
The three friends went to meet the lion in his den. The wolf said to the lion: Your Majesty, one of the camels has entered your kingdom without your permission, and its body is full of delicious meat. It may be the best meal for us today to eat. Let’s kill it. The lion heard the advice from his friends in anger and said: What are you talking about? The camel entered my kingdom for its safety, and we must give it shelter and not kill it.
The three friends became very disappointed at hearing the lion’s words, but they could not disobey the words of the king of the forest. They went to the camel and told him about the lion’s desire, who wanted to meet him and have dinner with him.
The Camel Becomes a Friend of the Lion: The camel was extremely afraid and wondered at the lion’s invitation. He thought it was an invitation to kill and eat him. The camel had no choice but to accept the invitation, and he walked with the three friends to the king. The lion was very happy to see him, spoke to him, and assured him of complete safety in the forest. The camel listened to the lion in amazement and was very happy to hear the lion’s words.
The Lion Suffers Deep Wounds: The next day, the king went out with his three friends searching for prey to eat. The battle that day was with a huge elephant. The lion wrestled the elephant, and the battle was fierce until the three friends fled in panic, leaving the lion wrestling the elephant alone.
This led to the lion suffering severe wounds in the battle. He returned to his den tired and in pain. The lion remained sick and unable to move for several days. He could not go out to the forest to search for food, and he and his three friends remained hungry for a long time because they depended on the lion’s prey for their food.
The three friends felt extreme hunger and cast their evil eyes on the camel. They went to the king and offered to kill and eat the camel. But for the second time, the king of the forest refused this offer. The three friends began planning a way to kill the camel.
Plan to Kill the Camel: The three friends went to the camel and said to him: My dear friend, you know that our king has had no food for many days and cannot go out hunting because of his wounds and physical disability. In these circumstances, it becomes our duty to sacrifice ourselves to save our king’s life. Let’s go to our king and offer our bodies as food for him. He will certainly refuse because we are his friends, but it is our duty to offer him such an offer. The innocent camel did not understand the conspiracy and agreed to the three friends’ proposal.
The Camel Is a Delicious Prey: The crow entered first and said to the king: Your Majesty, we have done our utmost in searching for prey and found none. I offer myself to Your Majesty as delicious food. The wolf replied: How can a small crow like you satisfy the king? Your Majesty, I offer myself to Your Majesty as delicious food.
The snake replied: Your Majesty, the wolf’s meat is bitter in taste and not delicious, so I offer myself to Your Majesty as delicious food. The wolf laughed and said: How can a small snake like you be delicious prey for the king? You are not suitable at all for feeding the king.
Everyone looked toward the camel, waiting for his offer. The camel came forward and said: Your Majesty, you are my friend, and a friend is present in hardship. I offer my body as delicious food for you because I am the largest in size, and my meat is the most delicious in taste.
The lion liked the camel’s idea and offer. Before this, the wolf had told the king about the camel’s urgent desire to sacrifice himself for the king. The king was convinced by the camel’s offer, pounced on the camel, and tore him to pieces. The camel was the delicious meal for the king and his friends. Afterward, the lion felt regret because he knew it was a plan from his three friends and a conspiracy to trap the poor camel.
Translated from story: BEWARE OF MEAN FRIEND