Long ago, a wise and just king ruled a vast kingdom. He believed that while mistakes made out of necessity could be forgiven, those who caused trouble for the sake of mischief were the most difficult to reform. One afternoon, three travelers were brought before his throne.
The first was a man who had stolen food from wealthy merchants to feed his family. The king, moved by his hunger, ruled, "He stole because he was hungry. Let him work in the royal kitchens to earn his keep."
The second was a woman who had pretended to be a magician to collect coins from villagers. Seeing her struggle, the king decided, "She used trickery to survive. Let her work in the palace gardens instead of being cast out."
The third was a young man named Kavi. Kavi never stole and never hurt anyone physically. However, he had a habit of telling clever lies and playing pranks just to see people get frustrated. He lived for the chaos he created. The king frowned. "A man who steals takes things, but a man who pranks takes peace. Your mischief has no purpose other than to annoy. For this, you must face the highest penalty."
As the execution was carried out, something impossible happened. Kavi’s head, though severed, began to laugh! "Take me to the King!" the head shouted. "I have one last joke to tell him!" The terrified guards ran to the king. When a high official went to check, the head was silent. But the moment the official turned his back, the head began laughing again, mocking the guards.
In a fit of panic and confusion, a guard was wrongly punished for the chaos. The head laughed even louder, "See? Your fear is my greatest joke!"
The king, realizing the chaos the prankster had caused even in death, ordered the head to be buried deep within the earth. Years passed, and a strange tree grew from that very spot. It bore large, round fruits. Whenever someone picked a fruit and shook it, a hollow 'thud-thud' sound echoed from inside, much like the sound of the prankster’s laughter. To this day, people call these fruits the 'Laughing Shells' in memory of the man who couldn't stop his mischief.
Moral
Mischief that serves no purpose only creates chaos and brings unwanted consequences.
