The Greedy Jackal
Also known as Lalchi Gidad
- 2 minute read
- Ages 6-10
- Panchatantra Stories
A hunter went out at dawn and had a very good morning.
He shot a deer, and while he was carrying it home a wild boar came at him out of the undergrowth. He dropped the deer, shot the boar, and the boar reached him before it fell. Both of them died there in the clearing.
A snake crossing the ground at that moment was trodden on by the boar as it went down, and did not survive it either.
So by mid-morning there were four bodies lying in that clearing: a hunter, a deer, a boar and a snake.
The jackal
A jackal came through the trees and could not believe what he was looking at.
He walked round it twice.
Deer, which was the best of it. Boar, which would last for weeks. A man, which he would normally never get. And a snake on top of that.
He sat down and worked out that if he was careful with it, this was food for months. He would not have to hunt again this season. He would not have to compete with anything or risk anything or go hungry at all.
And having decided that, he thought he would celebrate by starting with something small.
The bowstring
The hunter's bow was lying beside him where he had fallen.
It was strung with gut, and the ends of the string were bound with sinew, and the jackal thought that would do very nicely as a first mouthful before he started on the serious business.
He took the string in his teeth and pulled.
The gut was tough. He braced himself and pulled harder, working at it, and it began to give.
And then it gave completely, and the bow snapped straight, and the end of it went through the roof of his mouth and into his head.
He died there in the clearing, and he was the fifth.
Moral of the story
He had months of food in front of him and went for the one thing that was not food at all. Greed is not wanting a lot; it is not being able to stop.
Questions and answers
- How did the four bodies come to be in the clearing?
The hunter shot a deer, was attacked by a boar, shot the boar, and died from its attack. A snake was crushed by the falling boar.
- What did the jackal work out?
That there was enough food there to last him months, so he would not need to hunt again that season.
- What did he decide to eat first?
The gut bowstring bound with sinew, as a small mouthful before starting on the rest.
- What happened when he pulled it?
The string gave way, the bow snapped straight, and the end of it went through the roof of his mouth.
- What is the point of the story?
That he already had everything he needed and destroyed himself reaching for one small thing more.
Word meanings
- boar
- A wild pig with tusks.
- undergrowth
- Low bushes and plants growing under trees.
- gut
- A tough cord made from animal intestine, once used for bowstrings.
- sinew
- Strong tissue joining muscle to bone, used as thread.
Questions about The Greedy Jackal
What is the moral of The Greedy Jackal?
That greed is an inability to stop rather than a desire for a lot. The jackal had months of food and died reaching for a bowstring.
Is this story too grim for children?
It is stated plainly with no detail, and it is one of the standard Panchatantra tales in Indian schoolbooks for ages six and above.
Why does the story count him as 'the fifth'?
It is the Panchatantra's dry joke. Four deaths were accidents; the fifth was a choice.
What is this story called in Hindi?
It is usually known as Lalchi Gidad, meaning 'the greedy jackal'.