The Brahmin and the Cobra (Haridatta's Gold Coin)
A poor farmer named Haridatta toiled in his arid field for years with little success. One hot afternoon, exhausted by labor, he rested under a tree and saw a majestic cobra emerging from an anthill with an expanded hood.
Haridatta bowed respectfully: "O guardian deity of this land, I have never offered you worship." He brought a bowl of fresh cow's milk and placed it before the anthill.
The next morning, Haridatta found a pure gold dinar (coin) left in the empty milk bowl! Every day, he offered milk and received a gold coin, growing prosperous and respected.
One day, Haridatta had to travel to another village and asked his son to deliver the milk. Seeing the gold coin the next morning, the greedy son thought: "This anthill must be filled with thousands of gold coins! Why wait every day? I will kill the serpent and take all the treasure at once!"
The next day, as the cobra drank the milk, the son struck it with a heavy stick. The nimble cobra dodged the blow and struck the boy with its venomous fangs, killing him instantly on the spot.