Jataka Tales: Beauty And The Brownie

Another great story from Jataka Tales. Two deer named Beauty and Brownie lived with their father and mother and great herds of deer in a forest. One day their father called them and said, “Dear children, the time has come for the corn in the fields to ripen. It is a time of great danger for us as when the corn is ripening in the fields, the hunters set their traps there to catch us. It will be best for both of you to go away for a while. Each one of you must also take a small herd of young deer with you and keep it safe.”

The children asked their father, “Dear father, will you not be accompanying us?” The father replied, “No, there is enough food for me and your mother here! We will stay back with some old deer. But you must leave with the young deer as there is not enough food for all of us. At the hills, you will find plenty of food to sustain yourselves till the time, the corn in the fields is harvested and it is safe to return.” He further instructed them, “Remember to travel by night, because the hunters will see you if you go by day. And you must not take your herd near the villages where hunters live.”

So Beauty and Brownie, both took one herd of young deer and bid adieu to their parents. Beauty remembered his father’s instructions word by word and always traveled at night. He never allowed any deer of his herd to go near any villages. But Brownie was completely oblivious of his father’s advice. He fearlessly travelled in the daylight and when he saw a village, he led his herd right past it. The hunters were able to clearly spot Brownie’s herd, and they killed many deer from his herd.

When the crops had been cut, the deer started returning to the forest. Beauty proudly came back with all the deer of his herd while Brownie could bring back only a few.

That is why it is said, we must never ignore the advice of our elders.

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