The Cave That Talked

Once upon a time, deep in a dense jungle, there lived a fierce and mighty lion. He was the undisputed king of the jungle, feared by all the animals. One day, the lion wandered far and wide in search of prey. His stomach growled with hunger as he roamed through the forest, but despite his relentless efforts, he could not find a single animal to hunt. The day was coming to an end, and the sun was beginning to set. Dejected and weary, the lion began to lose hope. He knew he had to return home soon, but the thought of going back on an empty stomach left him restless.

Just as he was about to give up and head back, the lion's sharp eyes spotted a cave nestled among some thick bushes. The lion’s instincts told him that this cave might be home to some animal that would soon return for the night. A gleam of hope flashed in his eyes. He carefully approached the cave, noticing that no one was inside. The lion decided to hide in the cave, planning to ambush the resident animal when it came back.

The lion quietly slipped inside and crouched down, ready to pounce on his prey. His heart pounded with excitement at the thought of finally satisfying his hunger. He remained as still as a rock, waiting for the owner of the cave to return.

This cave, however, belonged to a clever jackal. As the jackal made its way back to its home after a long day of wandering through the forest, it noticed something unusual near the entrance of the cave. The jackal had keen senses, and it immediately spotted paw prints leading into the cave. These were not the jackal's paw prints; they were much larger, and the jackal quickly realized they belonged to none other than a lion. A chill ran down the jackal's spine, but it remained calm. The jackal knew that if the lion was indeed inside the cave, it had to act quickly and wisely to avoid becoming the lion's meal.

The jackal stood at a safe distance from the cave, thinking of a plan. After a moment of thought, the jackal came up with a clever idea to confirm if the lion was inside. The jackal decided to pretend that it always talked to the cave whenever it returned home. In a loud and cheerful voice, the jackal called out, "Hello, dear cave! I have returned home after a long day. Why are you so quiet today? Do you not greet me as you usually do?"

The lion, hidden inside, was puzzled by what he heard. The jackal continued, "Cave, you always talk to me when I come home. If you do not respond today, I will know something is wrong, and I will leave and never return." The jackal repeated these words a few more times, sounding increasingly concerned.

The lion, fearing that his prey would walk away, fell for the jackal’s trick. Not wanting to lose his chance, the lion thought, "If I do not respond as the cave, the jackal will leave, and I will miss my meal." Foolishly, the lion opened his mouth and replied in a deep voice, "Welcome home, dear jackal. Come inside. It is safe."

The moment the lion spoke, the jackal's suspicions were confirmed. There was indeed a lion hiding in its cave! Without wasting a second, the jackal turned around and ran as fast as it could, disappearing into the safety of the forest. The lion, realizing it had been tricked, roared in frustration, but it was too late. The clever jackal had escaped, leaving the hungry lion to sulk in the empty cave.

From that day on, the jackal never returned to that cave, and the lion learned a hard lesson about being fooled by wit and intelligence.

Moral of the story: Presence of mind and quick thinking can save you from danger, even when faced with powerful enemies.