Damanaka told Pingalaka...

 

There was a hungry jackal in a forest. He roamed in search of food and came across a battlefield. From a distance, the jackal heard loud, deafening sounds. It was strange. The jackal had never heard such sounds before and he was scared. He was sure that the sound belonged to a creature that would destroy him. The jackal’s heart sank. As he suspiciously trotted ahead to investigate, he found a deserted drum under a tree. The branches of the tree, blown by the wind, were hitting the drum, which resulted in the noise.

 

The jackal had never seen a drum before in his life. He tiptoed closer and prodded the drum. It seemed lifeless. The jackal thought that something that makes so much noise would surely be full on the inside, maybe even food. He tore open the skin of the drum, but found nothing. He laughed to himself, “I was scared so much by the noise, but in the end, it is filled with nothing but air.”

 

The jackal continued his search for food, this time, a little braver.

 

Moral

Often times, we are scared of the unknown, like the jackal who was scared of the drum sounds. Why? Because we fear a bad outcome. Results of any endeavor could be good or bad. But the worst state to be in is inaction. Could the Jackal have stopped searching for food? No. On account of his investigation, he learnt to be brave. The next time he comes across a situation that needs decisiveness, the jackal is likely to face it head-on. And achieve success.

 

Damanaka concluded the story, “O King! It’s just a sound. But if you like, I can go and investigate it for you.”

 

Pingalaka gave his permission and Damanaka set forth on his journey.

 

Once Damanaka had left, Pingalaka started questioning the jackal’s intentions, “Maybe I shouldn’t trust Damanaka. He may have a grudge against me for not giving him a position in my ministry. He might act against my interests. It is said that a weak but wise person is harder to fool than a strong person who readily places his trust in others. No! I will not trust the jackal. I will be watchful.”

 

Damanaka reached the spot where Sanjivaka – the bull, was grazing. On seeing that he was only a grass eating animal, he hurried back to the king and reported what he saw.

 

Pingalaka did not believe him, “You say that you saw this great creature of terrible roar? Are you telling the truth?” The jackal nodded and the lion continued, “I guess you are. Since he let you live, I believe you saw him. Great creatures don’t harm powerless insects like you. Storms don’t go after grass. They uproot trees. The creature would not have considered you as his equal. By definition, he must be really very powerful.”

 

Pingalaka’s fears were getting the better of him.

 

Damanaka replied firmly but politely, “O King! Let me go and persuade the creature to come and meet you.” Pingalaka loved the idea.

 

The jackal hurried to the bull and addressed him in a commanding voice, “Hey Bull! Stop what you are doing and come and meet our king.”

 

Sanjivaka asked who the king was, and the jackal responded even louder, “What! You don’t know the great lion, Pingalaka? You’re dead. He’s sure to punish you for incessantly roaring for no reason.”

 

Sanjivaka’s heart sank. He was sure he was going to be killed. He pleaded with Damanaka, “Please! Please! Don’t let your king harm me. You appear wise. Please work out my safety with the king and I’ll come with you.”

 

Damanaka told the bull to stay right where he stood and rushed back to Pingalaka, “O King! This is no ordinary creature. The bull is Lord Shiva’s vehicle. You must definitely make friends with him.”

 

Pingalaka beamed, “See! I knew it. I knew that this was not an ordinary creature. Bring him to me. I want to meet this great bull.”

 

Damanaka went back to Sanjivaka and told him, “Ok! I have managed to convince Pingalaka to guarantee your safety. But you and I must come to an understanding. I’ll ensure you are perceived well in the eyes of the king. But you must always keep me close to you and listen to my counsel. Don’t let the favor of the king get to your head. Or you will end up like Dantila (दन्तिल) - the merchant.

 

Sanjivaka asked curiously, “What happened to Dantila?”

 

And Damanaka told Sanjivaka, the story of Dantila – the merchant.