Vishnu Sharma
|
India

The Donkey in the Leopard's Skin

A washerman disguises his lazy donkey as a leopard for profit, but consequences arise when the truth is revealed.
Deception
Honesty
Greed
Panchatantra Fables - The Donkey in the Leopard's Skin
Audio available for B1 version

There once lived a washerman in a small village. He owned a donkey that was very lazy and always tried to avoid work. The washerman was frustrated with the donkey and constantly sought ways to make it more useful.

One day, the washerman found the skin of a dead leopard. An idea struck him, and he took the skin home. He cleaned it thoroughly and carefully draped it over his donkey, completely disguising the donkey as a fearsome leopard.

The next day, he led his donkey to the forest to graze. The donkey, disguised as a leopard, roamed around freely, scaring away all the other animals. They fled at the sight of what they thought was a leopard, allowing the donkey to have all the best grazing spots to itself.

Meanwhile, in the village, the washerman began circulating rumors of a wild leopard in the forest, frightening the villagers. Despite the fear, he would visit the forest, claiming to have tamed the leopard. He returned with bundles of firewood and other forest goods, selling them at high prices, profiting from the villagers' fear.

This went on for some time, and the washerman profited greatly from his cunning plan. The donkey was also pleased because it could eat and sleep to its heart's content without having to do any work.

But one day, while the donkey was leisurely grazing in the forest, it heard the distant braying of another donkey. Overjoyed to hear a sound so familiar, the disguised donkey couldn't resist and started braying loudly in response.

The other animals in the forest, who had run away thinking the donkey was a leopard, heard the braying and realized that it was not a leopard after all, but a mere donkey. They returned and chased the donkey, who ran away in fear.

The news of the fake leopard quickly spread among the villagers. The washerman was ridiculed for his deception and heavily punished by the village council. He lost all his earnings, and his reputation was ruined. As for the donkey, it had to return to its old life of hard work and scanty meals.

In a quirky village where talking animals held annual talent shows, there was a washerman. This washerman had a donkey. Not just any donkey, but a donkey who believed stretching in the morning was too much exertion for the entire day.

One evening, while the washerman was strolling through the village outskirts, he stumbled upon a discarded leopard skin. "Hmm... this could be interesting," he murmured, already formulating a wacky plan.

The next morning, after some DIY stitching, our donkey was proudly sporting a fashionable leopard disguise. With a swish of its new tail, it felt invincible.

Strolling through the forest, the donkey relished its newfound status. Every animal cleared the path, leaving an all-you-can-eat grass buffet just for him. "Who knew fashion could be so filling?" mused the donkey, munching away happily.

Back in the village square, the washerman turned storyteller. "Have you heard? There's a leopard in the forest! But, fear not! For I, the brave washerman, have tamed it." And just like that, he began selling "leopard-blessed" herbs and spices. The villagers lined up, eager to buy into the exotic tale.

For a while, life was grand. The donkey felt like it was on an endless forest holiday, and the washerman reveled in his newfound fame.

But, like every good story, there's a twist. While the donkey was attempting the "Leopard Limbo Dance", it heard a familiar donkey song from yonder. Excitement took over, and it shouted, "Hey, that's my jam!" And just like that, its cover was blown.

The forest animals exchanged glances. "I knew leopards didn't do the limbo!" exclaimed a rabbit. The word spread faster than forest gossip.

In the village, the whispers began. "That leopard? It's a donkey! And it's got dance moves!" The washerman's popularity went from hero to zero, and his "leopard-blessed" products? Suddenly not so appealing.

Our donkey, meanwhile, found itself back in the daily grind, occasionally showing off its limbo moves. And every once in a while, it'd eye another costume, dreaming of its next grand escapade.

Where meadows stretch and breezes tease,
A washerman lived with much unease.
His donkey, so lazy, with a sigh and a moan,
Always sought ways to be left alone.

By chance, a leopard's skin he found one day,
The washerman grinned, thinking, "Ah, a new way!"
He dressed the donkey, with spots and a snout,
A fearsome leopard, there was no doubt.

Into the forest, the disguised donkey went,
Sweeping the land, wherever it went.
Animals scampered, left and right,
For they were taken by quite a fright.

Back in the town, tales did swirl,
Of a wild leopard, its tail would twirl.
The washerman boasted, prices soared high,
All bought his goods, no questions, no "why?"

For days and days, this ruse did last,
With the washerman earning cash so fast.
The donkey was happy, no chores to do,
Just eat, sleep, and enjoy the view.

But one sunny day, a sound did ring,
The call of a donkey, its joyful sing.
Our disguised friend, with glee did he bray,
Shattering the silence, giving himself away.

Animals laughed, realizing the riddle,
The leopard was a donkey, right in the middle!
Back to the village, the truth did race,
The washerman's trick, was now a disgrace.

Ridiculed, shamed, his earnings all gone,
The washerman learned deception's wrong song.
And the poor donkey, with spots stripped away,
Had to toil once again, every single day.

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Reflection Questions

  1. Why do you think the washerman decided to dress the donkey as a leopard?
  2. How did the other animals react when they first saw the donkey dressed as a leopard, and how did their reactions change once they discovered it was a donkey?
  3. Can you think of a time when you pretended to be something you weren't?
  4. What does this story teach us about honesty and deception?
  5. How could the washerman and the donkey have behaved differently to avoid their eventual troubles?

Fable Quotes

Deception may bring temporary gain, but truth will always unveil the disguise.
Honesty prevails, for lies may deceive briefly, but the truth will always unveil their disguise.
Greed often overfeeds, leaving you hungry for honesty.
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