Sher aur Chatur Khargosh

Ek mahaan van mein ek paraakrami sinh rehta tha jo sabhi pashuon ka nirvivaad raja tha. Har din vah apne kshetra mein ghoomta, bhookh se adhik khel ke liye maarta, aur van nirantar bhay mein jeeta. Hiran shaanti se char nahin sakte the, khargosh maidaanon mein khel nahin sakte the, aur haathi bhi bhay se chinghaadte jab sinh ki garjana vrikshon mein goonjti. Antatah pashu aur sah na sake. Ve ek mahaan sabha mein ekatra hue, haathi aur bhaalu, hiran aur bandar, jungli sooar aur khargosh, aur unhone vichaar kiya ki kya kiya ja sakta hai. Sinh se ladna asambhav tha, aur van se bhaagna apne gharon ko tyaagna tha. Antatah sabse vriddh haathi ne dheemi buddhi se kaha. Aao sinh ke paas chalein, usne kaha, aur usse sauda karein. Ham har din uske bhojan hetu ek pashu bhejenge, svechha se aur bina virodh ke, yadi vah vachan de ki phir kabhi van mein shikaar nahin karega aur keval bheje gaye pashu ko hi maarega. Pashu sahmat hue, kyonki dainik balidaan bhi antaheen bhay mein jeene se achha lagta tha. Ve kaanpte juloos mein sinh ki maand gaye, aur sinh, jise dwaar par bhojan pahunchne ka vichaar priya laga, aalsi jamhaai se saude par sahmat hua. Anek saptaahon tak vyavastha chali. Har din parchi se ek pashu sinh ki maand jaata aur khaaya jaata, aur shesh van bechain shaanti mein jeeta. Parantu pashuon ke hriday bhaari the, kyonki har parivaar is aashanka mein jeeta ki kal ki parchi un par pad sakti hai. Tab ek din parchi ek vriddh khargosh par padi, chhota aur durbal, haddiyon par thoda maans. Anya pashuon ko us par daya aayi, parantu niyam niyam tha, aur vriddh khargosh sinh ki maand ki ore chal pada. Jab vah van-path par dheere uchhalta chala, to sochta raha, kyonki sinh se ladne ki usmein shakti na thi, parantu uske paas vah tha jo sinh mein na tha: ek chatur man. Jab tak vah maand pahuncha, uski yojana taiyaar thi. Sinh prateeksha kar raha tha, aur vah kruddh tha, kyonki khargosh ghanton vilamb se tha, aur uski bhookh krodh mein badal gayi thi. Tum kahaan the, dayaneeya graas, sinh garja. Kya tum sochte ho ki van ka raja apne bhojan ki prateeksha karta hai? Vriddh khargosh ne neeche jhukkar bhaybeet hone ka naatak karte kaanpte swar mein kaha. He paraakrami raajan, usne kaha, mujhe kshama karein, kyonki vilamb mera dosh na tha. Pashuon ne mujhe aapke paas bheja, parantu maarg mein mujhe ek anya sinh mila, aapse bada aur bhayankar, jisne mujhe roka aur ghoshna ki ki vahi is van ka saccha raja hai. Usne kaha ki sabhi pashu ab uske hain, aur usne aadesh diya ki aapko koi bhojan na bheja jaaye. Usne apni shakti siddh karne ke liye mere teen saathiyon ko vahin kha liya, aur mujhe aapko bataane bheja ki yadi aapko apna bhojan chaahiye, to uske liye usse ladne aaiye. Sinh ki aankhein krodh se dahak uthin. Mere van mein ek anya sinh, vah garja. Mujhe vah dhongi turant dikhaao, main use tukdon mein cheer doonga. Khargosh, apni muskaan chhipaate hue, sinh ko van ke gehre ek puraane, gehre kuein tak le gaya jismein sthir, andhera jal tha. Vah vahin hai, khargosh ne kuein mein ishaara karte phusphusaaya. Vah vahin chhipa aapki prateeksha kar raha hai. Sinh kinaare tak badha aur neeche jhaanka, aur andhere jal mein usne apna hi pratibimb ghoorta dekha, ayaal waala aur bhayankar. Krodh se andha hokar usne swayam ko na pehchaana. Vah kuein mein garja, aur pratidhvani us par garji. Usne apna vishaal panja jal par maara, aur pratibimb ne vaapas maara. Yah nishchay karke ki uska pratidvandvi uska uphaas kar raha hai, sinh ne apne paraakrami ang samete aur dhongi ka naash karne kuein mein chhalaang laga di. Jal us par badi chhapaak se band hua, aur van ka paraakrami raja, jisne sau pashuon ko aatankit kiya tha, andhere kuein mein doob gaya, panjon ya daanton se nahin, apitu apne hi pratibimb se paraajit. Vriddh khargosh sandhya mein ghar uchhalta gaya, aur jab pashuon ne suna ki kya hua, to ve kuein ke chaaron ore aanand se naache. Us din se van mukt tha, aur pashu bhay rahit jeeye. Yah katha jahaan bhi durbal ko balvaan ka saamna karna ho, sunai jaati hai, sikhaane ki man panje se teekha hai, ki krodh paraakrami ko bhi andha kar deta hai, aur chatur yojana waala nanha khargosh vah kar sakta hai jo balvaan pashuon ka poora van na kar saka.