THE FRIENDLY ADVICE

         A washerman had an ass. The ass carried loads of clothes every day. The washerman was cruel and miserly. He gave the ass nothing to eat. Day by day,  the ass was growing weaker.
        One night, the ass mate a jackal who was also wandering around. The Jackel asked, ''Mister Ass, why are you so week?"

        The ass told the jackal his sad story, how he worked hard but was given no food and how difficult it was to find grass.

        The jackal said, "Cheer up, Mister Ass. Your hungry days are over.  Believe me, there is a vegetable field some distance away. It is loaded with carrots, radishes, cucumbers, all kinds of gourds, brinjals, cabbages and juicy melons. I have made a secret hole through bushes. I break into that field every night and eat what I like. That is how I am in pink of health. You can come with me."
           The mouth of the hungry ass began watering. He accepted the invitation. After months, the ass ate a full meal. They stayed in the field till the early hours of the morning. Then, they came out and went their separate ways.



          Now, this became their nightly routine. They would sneak into the field and eat to their heart's content. The ass gradually became stout and healthy. His hair became shiny. His legs we're now springy. The ass forgot his days of hunger.
        One night, after healthy eating, the ass was in high spirits. He began swaying. He lifted up his head and began jiggling his long ears in a funny way. The jackal was worried. He asked, "Friend, what are you doing? Are you alright?"
         The ass said with his eyes closed, "I feel like singing. After a good meal, one should sing. Let me bray."



       The jackal warned, "Please, friend, do not forget that we are thieves here. It is no time for braying."
        The ass looked at the jackal with raised eyebrows, "Jackal, you are a stupid jungle beast. You do not know the beauty of art and music."
        The jackal folded his paws, "Yes, I know nothing about music. I only know how to stay alive. Your horrible braying will only wake up the farmers. They will come with sticks to beat us down."
         This enraged the ass. He kicked the air and announced, "Fool,  you call my braying horrible! We asses bray in classical tune. Naturally, you don't understand."
          The jackal begged, "Friend, I may be a fool but please don't bray. Do not invite trouble."
           The ass laughed, "Stupid jackal if my braying wakes up farmers it will do no harm. In fact, they will come with garlands to honour me."
           The jackal now had known that the ass would not pay heed to his advice. He felt sorry for making a stupid creature like an ass his friend. He decided to use his brain to save himself. So he said to the ass, "Brother I realise my mistake. You are a great singer. I also want to bring a garland for you. So, please start singing only when I am gone for ten minutes to help me return in time."
            The ass nodded like a superior. The jackal ran straight to the safety of the jungle. Sometime later, the ass started braying. That woke up the farmers. They ran with big sticks towards the source of the braying sound. Finding an ass there, a farmer yelled, "So this is the ass that has been eating away our vegetables!"


             The farmers beat the ass with their thick sticks. The ass fell down half dead, a bag of broken bones.

Moral: Do not ignore the sincere advice of good friends.