The Deer’s Carelessness

Once upon a time, our teacher was explaining an important lesson to us in class. He spoke in a calm but thoughtful tone and said, “Do not focus on who is speaking; instead, pay attention to what is being said.” The classroom became quiet, and everyone listened carefully. One student, curious and slightly confused, raised his hand and asked, “Sir, what does this mean?”

The teacher smiled and replied, “To understand this properly, let me tell you a story.”

Long ago, in a dense forest filled with tall trees, flowing streams, and hidden dangers, there lived a deer. One morning, the deer felt thirsty and decided to walk toward the river to drink water. The weather was cold, fog covered the ground, and the forest was unusually silent. As the deer walked confidently, a donkey came running from behind, braying loudly, “Hee-haw! Hee-haw!”

The donkey caught up with the deer and said, “Listen, Mr. Deer! Where are you going so early in the morning?”

The deer, clearly annoyed, replied, “You always interfere and disturb me. I am going to drink water. Now move aside.”

The donkey said seriously, “Don’t you know that the lion is hungry today? I have heard that he is waiting near the riverbank to hunt an animal.”

The deer laughed mockingly and said, “You keep saying all kinds of foolish things. The lion must still be sleeping. Who would sit by the river in such cold weather and thick fog just to hunt?”

The donkey replied calmly, “You may be right, but I have heard that the lion has been hungry for several days. He has only been surviving by hunting small animals. Today, he is desperately looking for prey.”

The deer snorted and said arrogantly, “Someone has rightly said that no matter how much you explain to a donkey, it will remain a donkey. Now get out of my way. I’ve already seen your face early in the morning, and that’s enough to ruin my mood.”

The donkey tried again and again to warn the deer, but the deer refused to listen. Eventually, tired and disappointed, the donkey turned back and left, thinking he had done his duty.

The deer continued toward the river and, upon reaching it, looked around carefully. Everything appeared peaceful. There was no sign of the lion. Feeling proud of himself, the deer thought, “That donkey truly is foolish, talking nonsense without reason.”

As the deer bent down to drink water, he suddenly noticed something strange. In the clear water, he saw the reflection of a lion. Before he could react or turn around, the lion leaped forward with great force and grabbed the deer by the neck. The lion held on tightly, not releasing him until the deer’s breathing stopped completely.

Thus, the deer lost his life—not because he lacked intelligence, but because of his arrogance and carelessness. He judged the warning based on who gave it rather than what was being said.

The lesson from this story is clear: it is not necessary that only an intelligent person can speak the truth, and it is also not true that a foolish person can never say something correct. Wisdom lies in listening carefully, thinking deeply, and respecting advice—regardless of the speaker.

Never reject advice just because of the person giving it. True wisdom lies in listening carefully, thinking logically, and judging words by their meaning, not by the speaker’s status or reputation. Ignoring sincere warnings out of pride or arrogance can lead to regret, while humility and awareness can protect us from harm.

while humility and awareness can protect us from harm.