The Ant That Repaid Its Debt

An Elephant was drinking from the river and accidentally washed a small Ant into the water. The Ant was drowning. An Eagle, seeing the Ant's struggle, plucked a leaf from a tree and dropped it into the water. The Ant climbed onto the leaf and floated safely to shore. A few days later, a hunter was stalking the same Eagle, which was resting on a branch. The hunter took aim with his bow and arrow. The Ant, who was nearby, saw this. Remembering the debt he owed, he quickly crawled up the hunter's leg and gave him a sharp bite on the ankle just as he was about to release the arrow. The hunter yelped in pain and his shot went wide. The Eagle, startled by the noise, flew away to safety. The tiny Ant had saved the life of the great Eagle. The story is a powerful fable that teaches that a small act of kindness is never wasted, and that even the smallest and most powerless creature can repay a great debt.