The Lion Makers - India

In India there are quite a few Brahmans. Brahmans are priests who belong to the upper class; they are usually very smart. They also very proud of their knowledge, and often in possession of magical skills. One day, four Brahmans were walking together in a forest, when suddenly they stumbled over the skeleton of a dead lion. One Brahman said: 'This is a good opportunity to prove our magical talents'.

'Yes', replied the other one, 'let us bring the lion back to life. I will put the skeleton back together'. And the took the lion's rib cage, his skull and his leg bones and put them back together. The second Brahman said: 'I can give it skin, flesh and blood', and so he did.

Image: Susil Sri Creations

Before the third Brahman could bring it back to life, the fourth Brahman said: 'Wait! This is a lion, remember? If you bring it back to life, he will eat us for breakfast'.

'Oh come on', the others said, 'are you afraid? This lion owes us his life!' But the fourth Brahman did not listen. 'You can say what you want, but I am climbing up that tree', he said.

While the third Brahman brought the lion back to life, the beast gave a big roar and jumped on the three Brahmans. He devoured them in 30 minutes, while the fourth Brahman was watching the scene from the safety of this tree.

Questions

• Why do you think the lion killed the Brahmans who had brought him to life?
• Why did the three stay on the ground while the forth hid in the tree?
• How do you think the fourth Brahman felt watching the lion eat the others?
• Have you ever let pride get in the way of your common sense?

Management Link

Managers need to have many skills, and a lot of knowledge. This can range from how to plan activities, to motivating people, from book keeping to persuading clients. People can study for years to become a manager. What this simple story illustrates, is that you should not try to show off your skills or talents, and more importantly, that you should listen to your intuition.Your common sense is often a good adviser.

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