The Ungrateful Goldsmith and the Grateful Animals

Once upon a time, in a small village, lived a poor Brahmin named Yajnadatta. He was very kind and pious. One day, while wandering through the forest in search of food, he came across an old, dry well. To his surprise, he saw a tiger, a monkey, a snake, and a man trapped inside. Seeing the Brahmin, the tiger said, 'O kind soul, please help us out of this well. I promise I will not harm you.' The Brahmin pulled the tiger out. Then, he rescued the monkey and the snake as well. All three animals thanked him but warned him, 'Whatever you do, do not rescue the man in the well. He is extremely ungrateful and treacherous.' However, the Brahmin felt pity for the man. Ignoring the animals' warnings, he rescued the man too. The man introduced himself as a goldsmith and said, 'I live in the city. If you ever need help, please visit me.' Some time later, the Brahmin fell on hard times. While walking in the forest, he met the monkey, who gave him sweet fruits. Then he met the tiger, who gave him gold ornaments that he had obtained from a prince. The Brahmin thought selling these would end his poverty. He went to the goldsmith he had saved. But the goldsmith was wicked. He thought that if he reported the ornaments to the King, he would get a reward. He lied to the King, saying the Brahmin had killed the prince and stolen the jewels. The Brahmin was imprisoned. In his distress, he remembered the snake. The snake appeared and devised a plan. He bit the Queen and told the Brahmin that only his touch would cure the poison. When the Brahmin touched the Queen, she recovered instantly. The King thanked the Brahmin and asked for the truth. After hearing the whole story, the King punished the ungrateful goldsmith and rewarded the Brahmin.