This is one of the best Panchatantra stories with picture for children. Once upon a time, a long, time ago, there lived a louse. Now, this bug had a large family. The louse and his family lived happily in the king’s lavishly huge bed.
Every night, when the king came to sleep, the louses would come out and drink the king’s blood. But they did so at an apt time so that the king wouldn’t wake. They had been residing in the king’s bed for a long time and were happy there. Also, read The Mosquito And The Carpenter.
Image Source@ www.youtube.com. One day, a bedbug happened to pass by. The bedbug saw the king’s bed and could smell the sweet smell of blood. He sat on the bed and thought of having a taste of this sweet smelling blood. The louse came out of hiding and tried to shoo the bedbug away.
“Go away,” the louse said. “But why?” the bedbug asked. “This is not your place. And if you bother the king, he’ll not only kill you but will kill us too. Please go away.” But the bedbug had never tasted a king’s blood. And he had decided he definitely would this time.
“At least let me stay for dinner,” the bedbug pleaded. “I have never tasted a king’s blood. I will not bother you, just one taste and I’ll leave.”
The louse had a soft heart and let the bedbug stay. But the louse told the bedbug to only bite the king after he has had his wine and is in deep sleep. “If you bite before he falls asleep, we will all be dead. Also, bite his foot. He wouldn’t wake if you bite his foot.” The bedbug said he understood and lay in wait for the king.
At night, the king came, had his drink and went to bed. The king was only falling asleep when the gluttonous bedbug bit him forgetting all about what the louses had told him. At once the king woke up due to the sharp pain. “Guards!” he bellowed. “Hunt the bed. Search and find what bit me!” the king ordered.
The guards set to searching the bed. They found the louse and his entire family and killed them without batting an eyelid. But they couldn’t find the real culprit for the bedbug had quickly buzzed away. You may also like to read, The Lion And The Mosquitoes.
MORAL OF THE STORY: NEVER ACCEPT ANYTHING FROM SOMEBODY YOU DO NOT KNOW OR NEVER TRUST A STRANGER.