Brahman's Wife and the Mongoose Story

The story begins in a small village where a brahmin named Deva Sharma and his wife used to live. They had a baby, and the brahmin wanted a pet that provided his child protection and also was his companion. The brahmin went around the village and found a mongoose baby as a pet. Although his wife was reluctant, she accepted it as it was already brought.

This story teaches the children to think before acting and treat all animals with love and respect. How the mongoose kills the snake to protect the baby is a fine example of this precious bond.

The Brahman's Wife and the Mongoose Story

Once upon a time, a Brahman named Deva Sharma lived with his wife. His wife gave birth to a son, and they were overjoyed to have their first child. The brahmin desired a pet animal to protect the child and a companion for the child. The brahmin presented his proposal to the Brahmani. She accepted the proposal, and he went on to bring a pet.

After much effort, Deva Sharma went around the village and obtained a mongoose to accompany his child. Brahmani was opposed to keeping a mongoose for her child. But because the brahman had already brought the mongoose, she accepted it. They both began to enjoy the mongoose baby as their pet.

Both of them began to regard the mongoose as their child. However, the Brahmani never left her son unsupervised because she feared the mongoose would harm him.

The Brahman and his wife had to leave the house one day, leaving the child home. The Brahman stated that the mongoose would look after the child while they were gone. So they went out, leaving the mongoose and the child at home. A cobra entered the house shortly after they left. The snake and mongoose fought after spotting a threat to the brahmin's son. They engaged in a bloody battle, and the mongoose eventually killed the cobra.

Mongoose then heard the footsteps of brahmin's wife and went to the door to greet her. Brahmani trembled when he saw the mongoose's blood-stained mouth. She thought that the mongoose had murdered the child. She threw a heavy object at the mongoose without thinking twice, and the mongoose died on the spot. Brahmani entered the house quickly to see her child, and to her vast surprise, she discovered her child sleeping peacefully in the cradle.

She realised how the mongoose killed the snake and had saved her child when she discovered a snake bitten into pieces lying near the cradle. The Brahmani was overcome with grief after killing the mongoose, who had become like a sibling to her son. She sobbed loudly.

The Mongoose Kills the Snake to Protect the Baby

The Moral of the Brahman's Wife and the Mongoose Story

This famous Panchatantra tale teaches an essential lesson to the kids that in any situation, one must think before one acts, have a clear mind before making any decision, and love and keep pets with utmost care. When the snake and mongoose fight and after the mongoose defeats it and Brahmini mistakes the blood for her child, a crucial lesson is learned that is not to make any decision in haste.

Note to Parents 

From this story brahmans wife and the mongoose, parents can make their children realise the importance of thinking twice before acting and not making any assumptions because sometimes things are not what they seem. This tale teaches children to love and respect all living beings and their pet animals and take care of them like their own.