The Master and animals!

Once upon a time, in the land of Silbaripuram, there was a Divine Guru who had an ashram. It was quite common for various animals to wander into his ashram from time to time.

The Guru possessed the unique ability to communicate with animals. One day, a fox, a buffalo, a wolf, and a monkey all arrived at the ashram at different times.

The Guru had strictly instructed all creatures that they must not fight with each other on the premises. However, he wasn't particularly happy seeing all these animals roaming around the ashram together. He was concerned that visiting guests might get frightened. To move them along, the Guru decided to play a small trick.

"This ashram has vast grounds, and sometimes wild animals cause trouble here," he told them. "Therefore, I am assigning each of you a specific task."

The four animals agreed.

The Guru explained the tasks:

 * "The first task is to go to the lion’s cave and find out what he is eating today. Whoever returns from this task will get four meals a day."

 * "The second task is to go to the tiger’s cave and bring back news. For this, you will get three meals."

 * "The third task is to enter the nearby lake and check if there are any crocodiles. For this, you will get two meals."

 * "The fourth task is to climb the nearby hill and watch if any wild animals are approaching. For this, you will get one meal."

"Remember," he added, "you can choose any task and do it either alone or as a group."

The animals set off immediately. By evening, only the monkey returned. The Guru allowed him to stay at the ashram. The other three animals had been attacked when they tried to peek into the habitats of the lion, the tiger, and the crocodile.

The Moral

In this story, the animals fell into danger because they were greedy for more food. Similarly, in today's world, many people land themselves in deep trouble chasing excessive money, fame, or status.