Singahacharma Jatak | moral stories for kids

In the past Brahmadattva was the king of Baranasi. At that time Bodhisattva was born in farmer's family and lived on farming. A merchant had an ass there .He used to go out for trade by putting the  sale able goods on the back of the ass.

One the merchant got lions skin. The merchant had a bad
idea in his mind. He thought it is good for me." I will put on the skin of the lion to the ass and the drag the ass to the farmer's crop field."the farmers would thing the ass  as a lion . They will not come close to it due to fear. The ass could eating full stomach. He would not have to thing about the food of the ass.

As he thought, so he did. He often dragged the as to the crop field when it was hungry. The ass used to the crop. The merchant used to watch the scene from far away and fun to see that. On the other hand, the farmers sorrow had on limit. They were loosing the crops. They could not come close in fear of the lion.

One day the merchant come to the village. He selected a place for his food and rest. He took his ass to the farmers crop field. The ass also was eating crops happily. Farmers though the ass as a lion. At first, the did not proceed to the field and informed the villagers. The were assembled in a please little far from the field. They all made a plan and began to beat drums. The  also started shouting. The ass after hearing loud shouting become restless out of fear. He was roaming here and there. Out of fear the ass was shooting in his own voice. Everybody became astonished hearing the voice of the ass.
Bodhisattva was the inhabitant of the village. He could realize by hearing the sound that it was not the voice of a lion but of an ass.


Do you know what they did after that? The villagers rushed to the field with sticks. Began to bet the ass. Having beaten, the condition of the ass was about to die. They pull out the skin of the lion from the ass and left it alone and disappeared from the field. Seeing the condition of the ass, the merchant become very sorry. He said, "The ass by making sound embraced his own ruin. Otherwise, he could eat crops for whole life."

After the comment of the merchant the ass expired. The merchant went home with grief.
What do you understand by reading the jatak?
Cheating is not good. The merchant lost his ass due to cheating. He himself  was responsible for his ruin. Do not cheat anybody. Do not take the shelter of lie or falsehood. Do not harm others.

Moral : The result of  cheating does not bring good result.