a lion seeks revenge

Lion was very angry. Naga the snake had had recently moved into the jungle and had begun telling all the other animals that he was the new Lord of the Animals, and that Lion was no longer strong enough to protect them.

Lion began to try to think of ways to get rid of Naga.
A small wise blackbird that knew Lion only slightly, but who had heard of the problems between Lion and Naga, began to counsel the angry Lion.

"Dig a deep hole, Lion. Dig it here in the road, cover it with straw and when Naga passes by, he will fall in and not be able to escape."
The angry lion thought it was a great idea and began to furiously dig a large hole in the road.
The more he dug, the angrier he got. Just thinking about evil Naga and all the problems he was causing in the jungle created a fury in Lion and before too long, Lion had dug a hole nearly five feet deep.

"It will have to be deeper than that, "said the small blackbird, "You don't want Naga to be able to escape so easily. You'll have to dig a much deeper hole. "

Lion began to dig again, all the while thinking about how much he hated Naga the snake. After several hours , the lion, exhausted from all his work, realized the hole was so deep that he couldn't get out.
The lion was angrier than ever, and began to roar.
"You wanted to lay a trap for your enemy, Naga," said the wise little blackbird. "But it is you that has ended up in the hole."

"Help me blackbird," said the lion, "Help me get out of this hole."
"I can't do that, Lion," said the blackbird." Your angry vengeful thoughts were meant for someone else, but by thinking nonstop about doing away with your enemy you became the one trapped in the pit, not Naga, "said the wise blackbird.

"When you free your mind of revenge and war against others, you will be able to focus on finding your own way out of the pit."

But the lion, so full of anger at his loss of pride and anger at Naga, could not be swayed. The other animals in the jungle were too frightened by his roaring to even consider getting close enough to help him. Lion, unable to concentrate on a way to get out of the pit, soon expired from lack of food and water.

The moral of this story is:
When you allow yourself to be consumed by anger or resentment you become the victim of your own hatred.

You voluntarily put yourself in a deep hole of anger that is difficult to get out of. So who is worse off? The object of your anger and hatred, or is it you?
Deep in your mental pain and misery you are the one that suffers from your thoughts.

The undisciplined mind is like a wild monkey that swings wildly through the jungle. You, however, are not this wild monkey-mind. The essential YOU lies beneath this trickster mind and seeks to take control if only you will allow it.

"G'night little possums!" "G'night Meemaw."

Mrs. Knobby Hop-Toad

"Tell us a scary bedtime story, Meemaw," said Rusty,

"Because you have been everywhere. You have heard the hooty owl and seen the elephant."