The Camel and His Unreliable Friends – An Indian Tale from the Panchatantra

Description: This Indian story from the Panchatantra tells of a camel who trusted unreliable friends and became a victim of their deceit. The story teaches caution in choosing one’s environment and not to trust those who act solely for their own benefit.

In a forest lived a strong and just lion, who considered himself the king of the animals. Always surrounding him were a jackal, a crow, and a wolf. They called themselves the lion’s loyal companions, but in reality, they exploited his strength for their own gain. These three never hunted themselves, instead, they were content with the leftovers of the lion’s prey.

One day, a camel wandered into the forest, lost in search of water and food. Seeing him, the jackal said to the lion, "Oh mighty king, a stranger has entered our forest. We must find out who he is and what he wants." The lion agreed to meet the camel.

When the camel saw the lion, he was frightened and said, "Oh great lion, do not harm me! I am so small that there is no point in wasting your time on me. If you let me go, I promise I will help you one day."

The lion, impressed by the camel’s honesty, replied, "Do not fear. You may stay here. I will protect you from dangers."

The camel was grateful to the lion and joined his group, unaware that the jackal, crow, and wolf were dishonest and cunning.

Life in the forest was peaceful until one day the lion sustained a severe injury in a fight with another predator. He could no longer hunt, and the jackal, crow, and wolf began to starve. "If we do not come up with something, we will perish," said the jackal. "Why don’t we use the camel? He trusts us, and we can convince him to sacrifice himself for the lion."

The lion firmly refused, "I promised to protect him. No one will touch the camel."

But the jackal, crow, and wolf devised a plan. They approached the camel and said, "Our king is about to starve. If he dies, the forest will be left unprotected, and you will not survive either. You want to help our king, don’t you?"

The camel, not realizing their true intentions, agreed, "If this helps the king recover, I am willing to help."

The jackal led everyone to the lion and suggested, "Let’s hold a council where each of us will show our loyalty to the king." They started with themselves: first the jackal, then the crow, and the wolf declared that they were willing to sacrifice themselves for the lion. But the lion refused, "You are my friends; I will not accept such a sacrifice."

When it came to the camel’s turn, thinking it was part of the ritual, he said, "If my body can save our king, I am willing to sacrifice myself."

The jackal and the wolf immediately attacked the camel before the lion could react. The lion tried to stop them, but it was too late. They overpowered the camel before he could realize that he had become a victim of deceit.

The lion looked bitterly at the remains of his group. He realized that the jackal, crow, and wolf only thought of themselves and understood that their actions were driven by greed and selfishness.

Moral: Not all friends are sincere. True friends will never sacrifice you for their own interests. Be careful in choosing your surroundings.

Questions for Kids:

• Why did the camel trust his friends?
• How did the jackal and the wolf deceive the camel?
• What did the lion realize at the end of the story?