The sadhu brought together the lions and the rabbits for a common meal. He visited the python and the viper, and had a long chat with them. He advised the eagle not to attack the little chicks that had lost their mother. The sadhu accompanied the tiger and the wild bear to the nearest market. He played with the bulbul, the owl and the monkeys

But the jackal was very angry with what the sadhu was doing. He did not want the animals to live in peace and harmony. So he was waiting for an opportunity to attack the sadhu.

One day, the animals, insects and birds held an emergency meeting and they unanimously decided to approach the sadhu and pleaded with him to kill the jackal. The sadhu said, “I will not kill the jackal but help you in a different way."

When the sun went to sleep, the jackal came to the house of the hens to take a few of them for his supper. The sadhu, who had been lodging nearby, came out of the house and spoke to the jackal. “Take me today for your meal.”

The jackal who had been waiting for this opportunity, dragged the sadhu and ran into the jungle. He took the sadhu to a lonely place, tore him into pieces and ate him up. The animals were very sad, angry and disappointed with what had happened to the sadhu. They were afraid that the hungry jackal would appear again the next day. Then they heard a strange noise. All of them ran in that direction. What they saw surprised them. They saw the stomach of the jackal growing bigger and bigger. It continued to bloat until it burst. Then they heard a soft voice: “May my animals, birds and insects live in peace and harmony! May there be no fences around you! May you sing and dance once again! Remember me and be not afraid.”

When they looked up at the sky, they saw the moon shining brilliantly, spreading milky brightness over the earth. The animals once again started to roam, sing, and sleep in peace. They broke down the fences which they had built. They invited the moon and the stars for their cultural evenings.

gymnastics (n) : physical exercises

property (n) : objects or things owned by somebody

woe (n) : extreme sadness

harmony (n) : a state of living together peacefully

unanimously (adv) : unitedly

bloat (v) : become bigger and bigger (swell unpleasantly)