Deep within a lush forest, two close friends, Kapilan and Vimal, were traveling together. Kapilan was known for his calm and thoughtful nature, while Vimal was famous for his incredible speed and energy. They were on a long journey to reach a beautiful valley on the other side of the hills.
As they walked, they encountered a narrow but briskly flowing stream. Kapilan, looking at the water, decided to simply walk through it. He stepped into the cool water, feeling it splash against his legs, and steadily made his way to the other side. He was a bit wet, but he reached the bank safely and calmly.
Vimal watched him and laughed. "Kapilan, you are so slow! Why waste time walking through the water? Watch me! I will leap across in a single bound!" Vimal wanted to show off his agility.
To make his leap successful, Vimal realized he needed a running start. He ran back several meters from the edge of the stream to gain momentum. Then, with a loud shout, he sprinted toward the water. He jumped with all his might, but he miscalculated the distance. He nearly fell into the deep part of the stream, barely managing to grab onto a slippery rock in the middle before scrambling to the other side, covered in mud and leaves.
Once he reached the bank, Vimal puffed out his chest. "Did you see that, Kapilan? I conquered the stream with style!"
Kapilan smiled kindly and said, "Your jump was indeed impressive, Vimal. But did you notice? To perform that single leap, you had to run backward many steps first. True strength is not just in the jump, but in choosing the right path from the very beginning without having to correct your mistakes halfway through."
Vimal realized that his desire to look clever had made his journey harder than it needed to be. From that day on, he learned to think before he acted.
Moral
It is better to plan carefully than to rush into action just to show off.
