The hermit and a Duck!

Long ago, there was a large pond in the ashram of a hermit in the land of Silbaripuram. This land had been gifted to the hermit by the King. After many years of intense meditation, the hermit had gained the miraculous power to converse with all living creatures in nature.

One day, a flock of ducks arrived at the pond from somewhere far away. They liked the place very much. Addressing the hermit, they asked, "May we live here for the rest of our lives?"

The hermit replied, "You may stay. However, the specialty of this pond is that no one will come here to trouble you. Moreover, all the creatures living here must coexist with love for one another."

The leader of the ducks immediately promised, "We will never trouble anyone who lives here."

Thus, they made the pond their home. Years passed. One day, a lone duck, trembling with the fear of death, arrived at the banks of the pond from some distant land. But when it tried to enter the water, the resident ducks blocked its path.

"There is only enough room here for us to swim and play. You must go somewhere else!" they shouted.

As the poor duck stood there terrified, the others climbed onto the bank to peck at it and drive it away. It was then that the hermit arrived on the scene.

"Stop!" he commanded. "You have broken the rules of this ashram. Why are you attacking this poor duck?"

One of the ducks replied, "Guruji, we have not broken your rules. We haven't harmed anyone who belongs here. This duck is an outsider—a wanderer who has come from some far-off place."

The hermit calmly reminded them, "Once upon a time, you too arrived here in the exact same way."

At this, the leader of the ducks argued, "But we came together as a large, powerful family. Look at this fellow—he is a nobody, wandering all alone without any relatives to back him up."

The hermit said angrily, "All the human inmates of my ashram came here as nobodies, with no one to call their own. In this place, there is no room for pride of lineage or high birth. Leave this place this very moment! Only this lone duck, who has no one else, shall remain here."

Immediately, the flock was forced to leave the ashram and move toward the forest. There, they unfortunately fell prey to a pack of wolves.

Moral of the Story

In this story, the ducks merely questioned the one who gave them refuge; however, in real life, it is common to see humans who go a step further and actually harm their benefactors. One must always respect and honour the goodness shown by others.