In a peaceful village near a dense forest, there lived a greedy man named Ravi. Ravi had a bad habit of stealing small items from neighbors to sell in the next town. One afternoon, while passing by the village temple, he spotted a magnificent bronze bell hanging high up. 'If I take this, I won't have to steal for months!' he thought greedily. He managed to untie the bell and began his escape through the forest path.
As Ravi hurried along, the heavy bell swung against his side, making a loud 'Clang! Clang!' sound. This unexpected noise startled a large tiger that was napping in a nearby bush. The angry tiger woke up with a roar and began chasing Ravi. Panicked and exhausted, Ravi realized the heavy bell was making it impossible to run fast. He dropped the bell on the forest floor and scrambled into the thick bushes to hide, leaving the prize behind.
A troop of playful monkeys soon arrived at the spot. Seeing the shiny bell, they were fascinated by the sound it made. One clever monkey grabbed the bell and climbed to the very top of a tall tree near the village edge. The monkeys spent the whole day hitting the bell, thinking it was a musical game. However, to the villagers, the constant 'Clang! Clang!' throughout the day and night was terrifying.
The villagers complained to the King, saying, 'Your Majesty, a strange, loud noise from the forest is keeping us awake and scared!' The King declared, 'Whoever finds the cause of this noise and stops it shall be rewarded with gold!'
An elderly woman named Meera, known for her calm mind, decided to solve the problem. She went to the market and bought a basket filled with sweet mangoes and nuts. She walked to the forest and placed the basket under the monkey tree. Then, she lay down on the ground and pretended to be fast asleep.
Smelling the delicious fruit, the monkeys swung down from the branches. The monkey that held the bell placed it on the ground and hopped down to grab a mango. Seeing her chance, Meera quickly grabbed the bell and hurried back to the village before the monkeys could react. The King was delighted by her cleverness and rewarded her with a beautiful silk robe and gold coins.
Moral
Intelligence and calmness can solve problems that strength cannot.
