Parables of Wisdom
Choose Your Friends with Care
मित्र सोच-समझकर चुनो · મિત્ર સમજીને પસંદ કરો
A sweet-talking jackal, a trusting deer, and a crow who told the truth
- 4 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- For all ages
A young deer and an old crow are true friends, until a smooth-talking jackal asks to join them. The deer must learn who really cares for him.
What it teaches Friendship Truthfulness Wisdom
The opening of the children's telling
In a green forest lived a deer named Chandan and a crow named Kalu. They were best friends. Every evening they sat under a big fig tree and talked. Kalu told Chandan stories, and Chandan listened with his soft brown ears.
One day a jackal came along. He smiled a big smile. "I have no friends," he said. "Will you be my friend?" Kind Chandan said yes. But Kalu said, "Let us wait and see if he is truly kind."
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
A true friend is known by what he does when you need help, not by how sweetly he talks.
To talk about together
How can you tell when someone is a true friend?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.