🥁 The Jackal and the Drum 🦊
In a large forest near the edge of a busy kingdom, there once lived a hungry jackal named Ketu. He was thin, restless, and always searching for food. Life in the forest had become difficult because the rains had been scarce, and prey was hard to find. Every night, Ketu wandered through the trees hoping to discover something to eat.
One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon and darkness slowly spread across the forest, Ketu heard a loud and frightening sound. “Boom! Boom! Boom!” The noise echoed through the trees like thunder. The jackal froze in fear. His ears stood upright, and his heart began to race.
“What kind of creature makes such a terrible sound?” he wondered nervously. “It must be huge and dangerous. Perhaps a monster has entered the forest.”
Ketu quickly hid behind a bush. The sound came again, even louder this time. “Boom! Boom!” The ground seemed to tremble with each beat. The jackal imagined a gigantic beast with powerful claws and sharp teeth. Fear filled his mind with terrible images.
But as he waited, nothing appeared. No giant creature walked past him. No heavy footsteps shook the earth. Only the strange booming sound continued, carried by the wind.
Curiosity slowly began to replace fear. Ketu was hungry, and hunger often gives courage to even the weakest animals. He thought carefully, “If I run away without knowing the truth, I may miss an opportunity. What if the sound is coming from something harmless?”
Gathering his bravery, the jackal decided to investigate. He moved slowly and cautiously toward the direction of the noise. Step by step, he crept forward, hiding behind trees and rocks. The booming sound grew louder as he approached.
Finally, he reached a small clearing where an old war drum lay under a tree. The drum had been left behind by soldiers who had once camped in the forest. Its leather surface was stretched tightly over a hollow wooden frame.
As the wind blew strongly, the branches of the tree struck against the drum. Each time a branch hit the surface, it created the loud “Boom! Boom!” that had terrified Ketu.
The jackal stared at the drum from a safe distance. It did not move on its own. It had no eyes, no teeth, and no claws. It was just a round object making noise when touched by the wind.
Ketu laughed loudly in relief. “So this is the terrible monster?” he said proudly. “I was frightened by an empty object!”
His fear disappeared completely, and now excitement filled him. He thought, “If something makes such a big sound, it must be large inside. Perhaps it contains food. Maybe a dead animal is hidden within.”
The hungry jackal approached the drum and sniffed it carefully. He circled it once, then twice. The strong leather covering gave off a faint scent of animal hide. Convinced that something edible must be inside, Ketu decided to tear it open.
Using his sharp teeth and claws, he bit and scratched at the leather surface. It took some effort, but eventually, he made a small hole. As the wind blew again, the drum made one last soft boom.
Encouraged, Ketu widened the hole and peered inside eagerly. But to his great disappointment, the drum was completely empty. There was nothing inside except hollow space.
The jackal stepped back, surprised. “All that noise, and nothing inside!” he exclaimed. “I allowed fear to control me at first, and then greed took over my mind. Both times, I was foolish.”
Ketu sat quietly for a moment and reflected on what had happened. He realized that loud sounds and bold appearances do not always mean strength or danger. Sometimes, things that seem frightening are empty inside.
Just then, a wise old owl who had been watching from a nearby branch spoke softly. “You have learned an important lesson today, young jackal.”
Ketu looked up respectfully. “What lesson is that?” he asked.
The owl replied, “Do not be afraid of noise alone. First understand the truth behind it. Many people in this world make loud claims and frightening displays, but inside they may be hollow. At the same time, do not let greed blind you either.”
The jackal nodded thoughtfully. “You are right,” he said. “I feared the drum without reason, and then I expected treasure without thinking. Both fear and greed misled me.”
From that night on, Ketu became wiser. Whenever he heard strange sounds, he did not panic immediately. Instead, he observed carefully and tried to understand the cause. His calm thinking helped him survive many difficult situations in the forest.
The story of the jackal and the drum spread among the animals. Parents told their young ones about it whenever they were frightened by shadows or loud noises. The forest slowly became a place where animals learned to think before reacting.
And the old drum? It remained in the clearing for many years, slowly fading under the sun and rain. But its booming sound had already given one hungry jackal a valuable lesson about courage, wisdom, and understanding the truth.
Do not fear something just because it makes a loud noise.
Things that appear powerful or frightening may be empty inside.
Always seek the truth before reacting with fear or greed.