The Friendly Mongoose

There once was a farmer who lived in a small village with his wife and their
little baby. One day, the farmer brought home a baby mongoose, thinking it
would make a good friend for their son. Within a few months, the mongoose
grew to its full size, but the farmer's son was still just a baby.

One day, the farmer's wife had to go to the market. Before she left, she asked
her husband to watch their baby, who was sleeping soundly in his crib. She
was worried about leaving the baby alone with the mongoose, fearing it could
harm her child. But the farmer reassured her that there was nothing to worry
about because he completely trusted the mongoose.

So the farmer's wife left for the market, and the farmer went out to check his
fields shortly after. When she returned from the market with a basket full of
groceries, she found the mongoose waiting for her at the door. But seeing that
the mongoose's face and paws were covered in blood, she immediately
thought the worst - that the mongoose had hurt her baby.

Panicked and heartbroken, she hit the mongoose with her grocery-filled
basket, causing it to die instantly. Rushing inside, she was relieved to find her
baby sleeping peacefully. However, there was a black snake lying dead nearby
in a puddle of blood. It quickly dawned on her that the mongoose had killed
the snake, protecting her son.

Full of regret over her hasty and reckless reaction, she began to sob. It was
too late to change her actions, and her remorse served as a sad reminder that
acting in haste can often lead to unnecessary worry.