Is friendship between unequal’s is possible?

The Mahabharata says that the friendship between the unequal’s is not possible.
The rich and the poor, the hero and a coward a scholar and the unlettered persons could never be friends, so says the Mahabharata.

Why is it so?

In the Shanthi Parva, King Yudhistra puts this question to the Bhishma.
To him Bhishma would reply as follows

‘In a forest there was a lion. It befriended a jackal. Once the jackal became the friend of the lion it started to enjoy all the privileges of the lion. All the other animals would stand in awe before him.

They would obey his words as if they were the words of the lion himself.
The jackal would chase away all its enemies (fellow jackals and other small creatures) from the forest. He obtained all the advantages from his friendship with the lion.

Then one day the lion was challenged by another lion come from afar. At that time the jackal was no good ally for the lion. Their friendship benefited only the jackal and not the lion.

Friends take and they give back. They dine and also entertain. They offer a support and also expect the support.

When one in the friendship will always be receiving and not giving back that friendship is waste.

A poor man cannot lend a rich when he is in trouble. A coward will derive all the benefits that would accrue out of his friendship with the hero and when the hero is himself in trouble will not be in a position to help him out.

Therefore the friendship with unequal’s is not beneficial’.