How Friends Are Parted

Dadi: "Guddu, can you tell the difference between a real friend and a fake one?"

Guddu: "I think so... A real friend helps you. A fake friend just wants something."

Dadi: "Very wise! Let me tell you an old story about exactly this - a deer, a crow, and a jackal."

Guddu: "A jackal? They're tricky, right?"

Dadi: "Very tricky. In a forest called Champak Grove, a Deer and a Crow had been best friends for years. The Deer was healthy and happy, wandering freely through the forest."

Guddu: "Sounds nice!"

Dadi: "One day, a Jackal spotted the Deer. His eyes went wide. "What delicious, soft meat! If only I could eat that deer!" But the Jackal knew he couldn't catch the Deer by chasing. So he made a plan."

Guddu: "What plan?"

Dadi: "He walked up to the Deer with a big smile. "Hello, friend! I'm Small-wit the Jackal. I live in these woods all alone, so lonely. Seeing you feels like finding family! Can we be friends?""

Guddu: "That sounds fake already!"

Dadi: "*(nodding)* But the Deer didn't see it. He was kind-hearted and believed everyone. "Of course! Any friend is welcome!""

Guddu: "What about the Crow?"

Dadi: "The Crow - named Sharp-sense - was worried. He pulled the Deer aside. "Be careful! You shouldn't become close to a stranger so quickly. Who knows what's really in his heart?""

Guddu: "Good advice!"

Dadi: "But the Deer didn't listen. The Jackal's sweet words had already taken effect. "He seems so friendly! You're just being suspicious.""

Guddu: "*(sighing)* This won't end well..."

Dadi: "The Jackal kept being extra nice, gaining the Deer's complete trust. Then one day, he said, "Friend, I know a cornfield nearby - so much delicious food! Come, let's feast together!""

Guddu: "It's a trap!"

Dadi: "The Deer followed. But in that cornfield, a hunter had set a net. The moment the Deer stepped in, he was caught! The more he struggled, the tighter the ropes held him."

Guddu: "And the Jackal?"

Dadi: "Did he help? Did he try to free his "friend"? No, beta. The Jackal hid nearby, thinking: "When the hunter comes and kills the deer, I'll get the bones and blood for dinner!" He had led the Deer to death on purpose."

Guddu: "That's horrible!"

Dadi: "As morning came, the Crow flew over and saw his true friend trapped. He also saw the farmer coming with a big club. Think fast! What would you do?"

Guddu: "I don't know! Run? Call for help?"

Dadi: "The Crow whispered to the Deer: "Quick! Puff up your belly, stiffen your legs, and lie completely still. Look dead. Don't move until I signal!""

Guddu: "Play dead?"

Dadi: "The Deer did exactly that. When the farmer arrived, he saw what looked like a dead deer. "He died on his own!" the farmer thought. "The meat must be spoiled. No use now.""

Guddu: "So he let him go?"

Dadi: "He loosened the net to drag the "carcass" away. At that exact moment, the Crow cawed loudly - the signal! The Deer jumped up and ran like the wind!"

Guddu: "*(cheering)* Yes!"

Dadi: "The angry farmer, realizing he'd been tricked, threw his heavy club in rage. And guess who was lurking nearby, still waiting for his meal?"

Guddu: "The Jackal!"

Dadi: "The club struck Small-wit dead. The deceiver was destroyed by the very violence he had hoped would bring him dinner."

Guddu: "Karma!"

Dadi: "*(smiling)* Exactly. The Deer and Crow were reunited, their friendship stronger than ever. And the fake friend met his end."

Guddu: "Dadi, what's the lesson here?"

Dadi: "Several, beta. First: true friends give honest warnings, even when we don't want to hear them. The Crow tried to protect the Deer. Second: fake friends use flattery - they say exactly what you want to hear."

Guddu: "How can I tell them apart?"

Dadi: "Watch what they DO, not just what they SAY. True friends help you when there's trouble - like the Crow risking his own safety to create that clever plan. Fake friends disappear when trouble comes - or worse, they caused the trouble in the first place."

Guddu: "And the Jackal died from his own trap?"

Dadi: "The deceiver's schemes became his destruction. That's how it often works. Those who plot against others usually fall into the pits they dig."

Guddu: "I'll listen to my real friends' warnings from now on."

Dadi: "Good boy. Be a Sharp-sense, not a Small-wit. Value honest friends over flattering ones. And remember - the sweetest words sometimes hide the sharpest teeth."