In a sun-kissed savannah, a goat and a lioness formed an unlikely friendship bonding over their shared experiences as mothers. They promised to care for each other’s children when one was absent. However, their friendship was built on unequal ground. The goat was simple and trusting, while the lioness harbored a hypocritical heart.
The lioness would often invite the goat’s children to sleep at her den, feigning auntly love. But beneath her warm smiles, she plotted sinister deeds. One by one, she devoured the goat’s four lambs, leaving the goat to cry out in anguish every day. The lioness would feign ignorance, shedding false tears alongside the grieving goat.
The last lamb, disabled and wise, sensed danger. He refused to sleep, fearing the lioness’ true intentions. Every night, the lioness would ask, “Did everyone go to sleep, or is someone awake?” The lamb would reply, “I, the weak one stays awake.” This clever lamb outsmarted the lioness, moving to a new hiding spot each night, always staying one step ahead.
As days passed, the lioness grew frustrated; her hunger and anger intensifying. One fateful night, she crept towards the lamb’s supposed sleeping spot, only to find him gone! The lamb had outwitted her once more, escaping to his mother’s side. Together, they fled the savannah, escaping the evil lioness’s clutches.
This tale serves as a reminder to beware of those who hide behind a mask of kindness, for even the most motherly faces can conceal a heart of darkness.
Recorded in Domeli, Punjab, by Mahin Zia.
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