The tales of the rabbit and the fox are quite famous among the folktales from around the world. Most of those stories originate from Aesop’s fables. Some of those are embedded as folktales and are really folktales. The story of the way the bunny ate labu kiribath is one of the folktale stories with moral lessons in Sinhalese folklore. If you are seeking bedtime stories for kids, moral stories for kids, folktales for kids, or fables for kids, this story will be an ideal one to choose. Happy storytelling!
Once upon a time, in a fertile forest, there lived a rabbit. He lived alone and happily in his tiny and cozy home under a mora tree. He came out early in the morning to get a sunbath from the first light. Then he hops around to find food. One day, a lonely fox came and asked if the bunny could make him his friend. The bunny took the fox as his friend. So, the bunny and the fox became friends.
One day, the bunny found two calabash seeds. Bunny was happy that he found them. Because he can grow calabash from the seeds. The rabbit took the seeds and went home. When the bunny went home, his friend, Fox, was there, waiting for him. Bunny was happier. He thought of sharing one seed with his friend. So that both of them can plant them and grow calabash.
“Hello friend! It is good that you are here. Take this. I found two calabash seeds. I am giving you one. Plant this. Okay,” Bunny gave the seed to the fox and said. The fox took the seed, agreeing with the rabbit.
The fox went home and planted the seed in the firepit of his home. Because he was too lazy to go out and dig a pit and plant the seed in the soil. But the bunny took the seed into his garden and planted it. And he watered it and looked after it every day. Meanwhile, the fox did not do anything. He just buried the seed on the pile of ash.
Time flew. The rabbit’s calabash vine grew bigger. It had flower buds. Then it had a big calabash. The bunny told the good news to the fox. and asked how about his calabash vine. The fox said he planted it in a corner of the firepit in the pile of wood ash. The bunny realized the fox was too lazy to plant it and look after it.
“Forget about my calabash seed. Now you have a big calabash. So, what are you going to do with it?” The fox asked.
“I am going to make calabash milk rice with it. And you are invited to join me,” the bunny said. Bunny did not send his friend away; even though he had been lazy, he ruined the same opportunity Bunny had. He kindly invited Fox. The bunny was okay with sharing the benefits of his hard work with the lazy fox.
Both friends went to pluck the calabash from its vine. Then they cut it open. Next, they scraped it. They put that in a pot with rice. Then they kept the pot on the hearth and lit the fire.
When the calabash milk rice was getting cooked, it filled the forest with its sweet smell. The fox couldn’t wait any longer.
“Oh, my friend. This smells so good. It seems it is well cooked now. But we don’t have any plates, do we? Therefore, can you go and find Kenda leaves? So we can use them as plates,” Fox suggested.
“Okay then, I’ll go and find Kenda leaves. Until I come back, you make sure this is well cooked and cooled down,” the bunny said and left. The bunny went around the forest looking for kenda leaves. He had to go so far to find them. After a while, the bunny came back with kenda leaves to eat his long-awaited meal, calabash milkrice.
But, when he came, the fox was not there. The bunny looked at the pot. It was empty. The fox had eaten all the calabash milk rice alone. He had not left at least a bit for the bunny. The fox had sent Bunny away to eat the milk rice alone. Bunny realized that the fox was not a good friend. “He didn’t plant the seed when I asked him to. I should have known that such a person is not a good friend,” the bunny thought.