కథ (Story): అసలు విజయం - The Elephant Who Won Hearts

On the occasion of his birthday, King Tiger decided to host a running race for the animals in the forest.

An elephant, a bear, and a fox came forward to participate. All three practiced hard for a month, each confident that they would be the winner.

King Tiger announced the rules: “The race will begin at the Crocodile Stream in the east and end at Tiger Hill in the west. Whoever reaches Tiger Hill first will be declared the winner.”

Animals and birds from all over the forest gathered eagerly to watch the race.

At the starting point near the stream, the elephant, bear, and fox lined up. The stork waved a red flag, signaling the start — and the race began!

The crowd cheered loudly as the three ran with all their might, neck and neck, speeding toward the finish line.

King Tiger sat on his throne atop Tiger Hill, surrounded by his courtiers, eagerly watching to see who would arrive first.

As the race went on, a commotion broke out among the animals gathered along the path. In the stampede, a monkey and a rabbit were badly injured.

All three racers noticed the chaos.

The fox glanced at the scene but continued running ahead.

The bear slowed down, shouting, “Oh no! They’re bleeding!” and turned back.The elephant, too, stopped running.

While the bear ran to fetch help, the elephant stayed behind. It brought water to clean the monkey’s and rabbit’s wounds, gathered medicinal leaves from a nearby bush, and applied them gently. Then, it helped them rest under a banyan tree and told them to stay calm. Only then did the elephant resume running toward Tiger Hill.

By that time, the fox had already reached the finish line and was declared the winner. The bear arrived next, and much later came the elephant.

King Tiger congratulated the fox and rewarded it with expensive gifts.

Soon, a crow brought King Tiger the news that a monkey and rabbit had been injured during the race — and that the elephant had stopped to treat them, saving their lives.

Hearing this, King Tiger called the elephant forward and said warmly, "My friend, you may not have won the race, but you have earned something far greater — the love and respect of everyone here. Winning is important, but never forgetting kindness and values on the way to victory is what makes one truly great."

He hugged the elephant proudly.

The fox and the bear felt ashamed. They had focused only on winning and had ignored their moral duty to help the injured.

They realized an important truth that day — victory brings momentary fame and rewards, but true honor and everlasting glory come from compassion and values.

After recovering from their injuries, the monkey and rabbit visited the elephant and lovingly offered it bananas and carrots to show their gratitude.

Moral:

Winning isn’t everything. True greatness lies in kindness, compassion, and doing what’s right — even when it means coming last in the race.