The Indigo Jackal's Trickery

Once in a lush green jungle, there lived a pack of lively jackals. They usually hunted together, eating the leftovers from the lion’s meals. Among them was an older jackal who was often bullied by the younger, stronger jackals. They wouldn’t let him share the food, which made him feel sad and hungry.

“I must find a way to feed myself, or I won’t survive,” the old jackal thought to himself. So, he decided to leave his pack and search for food elsewhere. He wandered for many days but found nothing to eat. Wherever he went, other animals chased him away. Desperate, he decided to venture into the nearby village.

One night, the hungry jackal tiptoed into the village, hoping to find some scraps of food. Suddenly, a pack of dogs noticed him and started chasing him. Scared for his life, the jackal ran as fast as he could and jumped into the first open house he found. He landed in a vat filled with a strange, foul-smelling liquid. It was indigo dye from the washerman’s house!

When the jackal climbed out of the vat, he noticed something strange. The dogs that had been chasing him suddenly stopped and ran away, howling in fear. Confused, the jackal hurried back to the jungle.

At the jungle’s waterhole, the jackal bent down to drink. To his surprise, he saw a brilliantly colored creature looking back at him from the water. Frightened at first, he soon realized it was his own reflection! The indigo dye had turned his fur a bright blue color.

Seeing this, the jackal had a clever idea. He called out to the frightened animals, “Do not be afraid! I have been sent by the great Brahma to protect you.” The animals, believing him, made him their king. The indigo jackal enjoyed his new life, as the other animals brought him food and took care of him.

However, one full moon night, the jackal heard a familiar sound. It was the pack of jackals he had once belonged to, howling at the moon. The urge to join them was irresistible. Forgetting his disguise, he threw back his head and howled.

The other animals were shocked. “Our king is just a jackal!” they exclaimed. Realizing they had been tricked, the animals became angry. “He fooled us! He must be punished,” they said. Together, they chased the indigo jackal out of the jungle, teaching him a lesson he would never forget.