Haste Makes Waste – A Woman and a Mongoose

Short Version

Once there was a woman who had a pet mongoose. The mongoose was very faithful. One day, the woman went to the market and left her baby at home with the mongoose.

After she left, a big cobra entered the house. The mongoose fought with the cobra for a long time. At last, it killed the snake and saved the baby.

When the woman came home, she saw blood around the mongoose’s mouth. She quickly thought that the mongoose had killed her baby. She became very angry and hit the mongoose with a water pot. The mongoose died.

Then the woman went inside the house. She saw her baby playing happily. A dead cobra was lying nearby.

The woman understood her terrible mistake. She became very sad and cried for the faithful mongoose.

Moral: Do not act in haste.

Expanded Version

Once there was a woman who had a small baby and a pet mongoose. The mongoose was faithful to the family and often stayed near the child.

One day, the woman needed to go to the market. Before leaving, she placed her baby safely in the house. The mongoose remained nearby. The woman trusted the animal, so she went out to buy the things she needed.

While she was away, a large cobra entered the house. It moved towards the baby. The mongoose saw the snake and immediately attacked it.

A fierce fight began. The cobra tried to bite the mongoose, but the mongoose fought bravely. At last, it killed the snake. The baby was safe.

When the woman returned, the mongoose ran to meet her. There was blood around its mouth because of the fight. The woman saw the blood and quickly thought, “The mongoose has killed my baby!”

Without checking the room, she became angry. She lifted the water pot she was carrying and hit the mongoose hard. The faithful animal died.

Then the woman rushed inside. To her surprise, her baby was alive and playing safely. Beside the baby lay the dead cobra.

The woman understood her terrible mistake. The mongoose had saved her child, but she had killed it without learning the truth.

She sat beside the faithful animal and cried sadly.

Moral: Do not act in haste.