The Right Words at the Right Time

In a peaceful village lived a young boy named Ilango. He was very bright, but he had one flaw: he believed his words were always the absolute truth and often spoke without thinking. One afternoon, the village elders called a grand council meeting to discuss a vital issue regarding the village pond. Ilango went to the meeting with his friend, Kathir. As the elders spoke, they were being very careful, listening to one another and observing the gravity of the situation. Ilango felt he had a brilliant idea. Without waiting for his turn or observing the mood of the room, he jumped in and shouted, "You are all wrong! Listen to me! We don't need to clean the pond; we just need to dig a new canal!" The entire hall went silent. The elders looked at him with calm but serious eyes. One of the wise elders said, "Ilango, your idea might be good, but you must understand where you are. A council is a place of wisdom and respect. If you speak without understanding the nature of this gathering, your knowledge loses its value." Ilango felt a sting of shame. He realized that having a good idea wasn't enough; he had to know how and when to express it. From that day on, he learned to listen before he spoke.