In a peaceful valley lived a hardworking woodcutter named Somu. Somu was known for his kindness and honesty. He had an older brother named Raghu, who was quite the opposite. Raghu was lazy and always looked for ways to get rich without working. While Somu found joy in his simple life, Raghu spent his days dreaming of gold.
One afternoon, while gathering wood deep in the forest, Somu stumbled upon a strange sight. A group of travelers stood before a massive rock face. The leader spoke a magical phrase: "Open, Moonlit Gate!" To Somu's amazement, the rock slid aside to reveal a hidden cave. After they entered, the leader said, "Close, Moonlit Gate!", and the entrance vanished. Once they left, Somu cautiously approached. He whispered the same words, and the cave opened. Inside, he found piles of gold and sparkling jewels. Not being greedy, Somu took only a small pouch of coins to help his family and hurried home.
When Raghu found out, his greed took over. He rushed to the cave, shouting the magic words. He entered and was dazzled by the treasure. However, in his excitement, he completely forgot the words to open the door to leave! He was trapped inside. The travelers, who were actually thieves, returned and realized someone else knew their secret.
Somu’s clever assistant, Mallika, noticed the thieves lurking around the village. They tried to mark Somu's house with a mysterious symbol to find him later. Thinking quickly, Mallika placed the same symbol on every single house in the village, leaving the thieves confused and lost. When the thieves tried to hide in large barrels to sneak into the house, Mallika used her wits to outsmart them and protect the family. Somu was deeply grateful to Mallika and rewarded her for her bravery and intelligence.
Moral
Greed leads to trouble, but wisdom and honesty lead to safety.
