Home > Mind , Body & Soul > Grandma stories >The faithful mongoose Indu and Lav were a young Indian couple and they had a beautiful baby boy. One day, Indu said to her husband: 'You must look after the baby, while I go down to the river.'

Lav sat down beside the pram, and the baby fell asleep at once. A short time later, a messenger arrived from the royal palace and ordered Lav to follow him there to speak on behalf of a friend.

Lav had to entrust the baby to the pet mongoose, which the young couple kept in the house. The mongoose at once sat down to guard the baby. When a huge python entered by the window and approached the pram, the mongoose was ready for it, and killed the python.

When Lav came back the mongoose ran to Lav very proud of his act. Lav saw the mouth and paws of the mongoose dripping with blood. He immediately thought that the mongoose had killed his baby and beat the faithful animal. Then he went running towards the house.

How surprised he was when he went into the house and found the baby sleeping peacefully, and a huge python dead on the floor by the pram!

From that day onwards, the young couple loved the courageous mongoose even more. Indu and Lav learnt that they should never doubt a faithful friend.