What Killed the Mongoose

Dey Sharma was a poor Brahmin. He and his wife spent their days in sadness because they were childless. They had a mongoose for a pet, which received all the attention that a child would have garnered.

Eventually, they were blessed with a son, and their joy knew no bounds. They never left the child alone for a moment; one of the couple was always by his side.

One day at noon, while Dey Sharma’s wife was away at the river for a bath, Sharma took it upon himself to guard the child. Just then, he heard from a neighbor that the queen was distributing alms to Brahmins. Dey Sharma faced a dilemma: he didn’t know whether it would be more unwise to leave the child alone or to let the opportunity for alms slip away.

Soon, he found it increasingly difficult to resist the temptation of the alms. He ordered the pet mongoose to guard the child and hurried off to the palace. Upon his return, he was horrified to find the mongoose at the door, blood in its mouth. He immediately thought, “The creature must have grown jealous of the child, who is now getting all our attention, and must have bitten it to death!” In his rage, he killed the mongoose with a stick.

However, upon entering the house, he discovered a dead snake. It was then that he realized the truth: the mongoose had killed the snake to save his child. The Brahmin repented deeply and cried out, “How impatient I was to kill such a faithful creature!”

His wife, returning from the river, added, “What killed our dear pet is not only your impatience but also your greed for alms.”