Gangadhara, a cowherd, noticed a snake coming out of an ant-hill near his cattle shed. He offered it a bowl of milk and prayed for its blessings and a mythical precious gem (mani). The snake drank the milk and dropped a gem into the bowl before leaving. Satisfied with this exchange, Gangadhara made it a daily routine to feed the snake milk in return for a single gem each day.

​When Gangadhara had to visit a neighboring village, he instructed his son to continue the daily routine. However, his son was greedy and foolish. Thinking he could get all the gems at once by killing the snake and digging up the ant-hill, he attacked the snake with a stick when it emerged. The snake dodged the blow and bit the son, killing him instantly.

​Despite grieving his son, Gangadhara's greed remained. The next morning, he placed milk near the ant-hill again and asked the snake to continue their friendship, blaming his son for his own death. The snake refused, stating, "You are here only out of greed for gems. The memory of your dead son will always stand between us, making true friendship impossible." Saying this, the snake abandoned the ant-hill and vanished forever.

​Moral of the Story:

Extreme greed leads to destruction. Once trust and friendship are broken, they can never be restored to what they used to be.