Once a Brahmin called Deva Sharma resided in a town. His wife delivered a boy and on the same time a mongoose died soon after giving birth to a male child. His wife Brahmini adopted the mongoose baby as well and began taking care of it with equal love and care and attention as she showed her son. Yet the Brahmini never ever left her son alone simply because she would not trust the mongoose, worrying that the mongoose may harm her son.
One day, leaving for the river to bring water, the Brahmini told her husband, “My dear! I am going to get drinking water, see that the mongoose doesn’t harm the child, ” and left. Deva Sharma answered, “Don’t worry my dear! He is sleeping on the cradle peacefully. “
The Brahmini said, “I know that. However I’m concerned about the mongoose, that he may hurt our child. ” As soon as she left, the Brahmin also left the home to beg for alms, leaving the house vacant.
Just then, a black cobra crept into the house and moved gradually towards sleeping baby. The mongoose who was around, noticed the cobra and fearing danger to the son from the Brahmin, attacked him. He fought fiercely with the cobra and tore him to pieces, spreading the bits everywhere. He was happy that he had rescued the baby. When the Brahmini entered, he imagined she would be happy to discover that he had killed the cobra.
So , with blood trickling in his mouth, the mongoose ran out to greet the Brahmini. The Brahmini, looking at the blood on the mongoose’s mouth, was so surprised that she assumed, “Oh God! What has he done to my child! He must have killed him… “
In a blind anger, without looking around, the Brahmini dropped the water-pot on the cute little mongoose who died immediately. Leaving behind the little mongoose lying dead at that very spot she gone inside, and found her son sleeping quietly. she saw a dead cobra nearby. Realizing the mistake she had done, she thought, “Oh god, what have I done? What a wretch I am! “
Morals: He who does things without prudence or wisdom regrets his actions.
