Choose Your Friends Carefully, Or They Will Be Your Undoing

Never get into the company of evil people, even if they act like good friends. Their false friendship will only result in your downfall. Read the story of the camel who got fooled by the predators of the forest…

A camel was pulling the caravan of a trader. They were crossing a forest on the way to a nearby town, when the camel hurt his leg. Considering him to be useless, the trader left the camel alone and went on his way. The camel was greatly distressed. Being a desert animal, he felt lost in the forest.

The camel found new friends in the forest
Image source: https://www.awsfzoo.com/

A lion came that way with his friends, a jackal and a crow. Seeing the lonely camel, they enquired what happened. When he heard the camel’s sad story the lion took pity on him and said, “Don’t worry. I am the king of this jungle, and I permit you to live here. In fact, I consider you as one of my friends. Henceforth you can live with us.”

The camel felt at home in the jungle, and started spending his time happily in the company of the lion and his friends. One day, the lion got badly hurt while fighting with an elephant. He could not go out to hunt. After a few days, the elephant’s meat was over. The lion and his friends started starving. The fox and the crow were used to feeding on leftovers of the lion’s meal, and did not know how to hunt. The camel, however, had no problem because he ate grass and leaves.

The jackal and the crow went to the lion and said, “Oh king, we have been starving for a quite a few days now. We need something to eat. Since none of us are in a position to hunt, we might as well eat the camel, since he is not one of us anyway!”

The lion, a righteous animal, was upset on hearing this and refused. However, the animals said, “Alright, we need not hunt him down. But if he comes and offers himself as a meal, please do not refuse.” The lion reluctantly agreed, and the two slimy characters decided to cheat the camel.

Within earshot of the camel, the fox said to the crow, “Oh friend, our king is starving. Let us go and sacrifice ourselves for his sake.”

“Yes,” replied the crow, “I will beg him to eat me!”

The fox quickly replied, “You are too small and the king’s hunger will hardly be satisfied. I will offer myself instead.”

And so the two continued to falsely argue about whose life should be sacrificed. The foolish camel believed the false words of these vile creatures, whom he believed to be friends. He immediately said, “Oh friends, you have been with the king for a long time, and he will miss your company. I am the newcomer here. I am grateful to you for letting me live here peacefully for so long. It is I who should end my life and not either of you.”

So saying, he offered himself to the king. Immediately, they pounced on him and finished him off. The poor camel lost his life because he believed the false words of false friends.

Here is a subhaashitham that reminds us never to fall prey to the “sweet” words of false friends:

दुर्जनः प्रियवादी च नैतद्विश्वासकारणम्।

मधु तिष्ठति जिह्वाग्रे हृदये तु हलाहलम्॥

Never trust a wicked person even if he/she speaks sweetly. 

There may be honey on the tongue but there is poison in the heart.

By Janani Gopalakrishnan Vikram (first published in Tattvaloka)