Reading Notes: Covetousness

A long time ago, there was a pool where all the animals drank at in a deep valley hidden in the mountains. A hunter had set up a trap where a bow would shoot a spear into the animal that rigged it across a road near the pool. A bear tripped on the trap and the spear killed him instantly. A fox came along and cut the string attached to the trap so the hunter wouldn't come back and kill him while he ate the bear's meat. As he was doing so, the trap was triggered and the fox was killed.

An elephant was sleeping nearby where the bear and the fox lay. A rabbit came along and hopped on the elephant until he woke up. When he woke up, he wanted to jump like the rabbit and jumped up and down. When he did, his big jump loosened a big rock and it fell on him and killed him.

Seven robbers came near all three animals and were excited about all of the meat they were going to get. They needed water with each of their meals and designated a group to go get some. When the group left, the others who stayed behind poisoned the meat they set aside for the other group to have when they got back so they could have more of the meat and the bones.

The other group who had gone to get the water knew that the other group was bad. They planned on poisoning some of the water they were bringing back for the others so they could have all of the meat. When they got back, the other group drank some of the water and eventually died.

The group knew they had all of the meat to themselves. They ate it and eventually died too. This story shows that there can be plenty of riches and food for all and you should not be greedy and you should not do what you can not do.

Covetousness by A.L. Shelton

Quote about greed. Source: Flickr