Once, a Raja owned a stallion who was considered the best in all the kingdoms across the globe. The grooms took the horse every day for a bath in a lake. One day, the horse refused to enter the lake. When the grooms tried to pull him towards the lake, he neighed loudly. The grooms were confused. They ran and told the Raja about it. The Raja asked Ananda who was the Buddha’s friend, cousin, and favourite disciple. The monk went and looked into the lake and saw a few strands of a horse’s hair. He could also smell some stench there. The monk explained to the Raja, “Another animal has just taken a bath in the lake. The royal horse does not like the stench and doesn’t want to bathe here.” Then, he sent the royal horse to a nearby river for his bath that day.
Moral: Respect animals and their likes and dislikes.
