The Donkey in the Lion's Skin

In the city of Anandpur Sahib, a wandering trader brought a lion's skin to the court of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. The Guru purchased it and, waiting until the dead of night, draped the terrifying lion's skin over a local washerman's donkey. He then let the donkey loose in the fields outside the city.

The next morning, terror gripped Anandpur. Farmers ran back to the city, shouting that a massive lion was destroying their crops. For several days, no one dared to leave the city gates. People hid in their homes, paralyzed by fear of the beast.

Finally, a group of brave Sikhs approached the Guru and asked for his permission to hunt down the lion. The Guru smiled and led them out to the fields.

As they approached the beast with drawn swords and muskets, the 'lion' suddenly heard the braying of another donkey in the distance. Instantly forgetting its terrifying disguise, the animal raised its head and began to bray loudly: 'Hee-haw! Hee-haw!'

The Sikhs froze, then burst into laughter as they realized they had been terrified of a donkey wrapped in a dead skin.

Guru Gobind Singh Ji turned to his Sikhs with a serious message. 'My beloved Khalsa,' he said, 'I have given you the bana (outer dress)—the turban, the sword, the unshorn hair—to make you look like lions. But if you do not cultivate the inner courage, the high character, and the bani (spiritual discipline) to match your outer form, you will be nothing more than donkeys in lions' skins. When the battle cry sounds, your true nature will be revealed.'