The Fox and the Drum
Shikha, the fox, lived in the heart of a vast forest, where the other animals resided with their families or in herds. Unlike them, Shikha found solace in solitude. Yet, hidden beneath her fearless facade, she carried many fears. The forest was a colossal realm, and Shikha would stumble upon a discovery every other week—a stream, a lake, a hill, or a clearing. Today was no exception, as she ventured into an unexplored region.
As she roamed through the forest, an abrupt and thunderous sound pierced the air, causing the fur on Shikha’s neck to bristle unease. It was unlike any sound she had ever encountered in her woodland abode—a sound that surpassed the roaring of lions, the bellowing of bears, the cries of cheetahs, and the droning of crickets. Her curiosity piqued, Shikha halted momentarily, contemplating the origin of the sound.
“Dooom!” the noise reverberated once again, louder than before. Fear welled up inside Shikha, urging her to flee. However, hunger gnawed at her belly, reminding her she had gone without food for two days. This peculiar sound may lead her to sustenance. With caution, she concealed herself behind a bush, straining her ears to perceive the direction from which the sound emanated. “Dooom!” it resonated again, this time unmistakably originating from the right.
Shikha stealthily pursued the sound, raising herself closer to the ground, growing nearer with each repetition. Though her stomach churned with trepidation, hunger propelled her forward. At last, she caught sight of the creature responsible for the resounding noise. It appeared as a large, cylindrical entity leaning against a tree, devoid of legs. Initially, Shikha would have regarded it as an inanimate object rather than an animal. However, when the tree branches swayed and collided with the entity, it emitted a thunderous cry—”Dooooom!!!”
Convinced that she had stumbled upon an extraordinary creature, Shikha approached it cautiously, the entity remaining motionless. Gradually, her confidence swelled, and her salivating mouth yearned for the potential bounty within the beast. “This animal cannot move, yet it emits such loud sounds. Surely, it must be brimming with food!” Shikha speculated, her excitement mounting.
Standing directly before the massive creature, she lunged towards it, engaging in a brief battle. Shikha relentlessly clawed at its skin until she pierced through, believing she had defeated her formidable foe. To her disappointment, the creature ceased its resonant cries, and upon peering into the hole she had created, Shikha found emptiness. The beast was hollow—devoid of the nourishment she sought.
Despite the absence of sustenance, Shikha considered her encounter a triumph. She had conquered a seemingly formidable adversary. “Ha!” she exclaimed triumphantly, her voice echoing through the forest. Perched atop a nearby tree, a parrot had observed the entire scene, bursting into laughter. Startled, Shikha ceased her celebration and glanced upward. “Why are you laughing, Master Parrot?” she inquired.
The parrot, still chuckling, responded, “The creature you defeated is called a drum! Humans strike it to produce loud noises. You may not be aware, but many years ago, a great battle occurred in this spot. The soldiers left the drum behind. And here you were, thinking you had slain a fearsome beast, searching for sustenance.”
Shikha regarded the parrot and then shifted her gaze to the torn remnants of the drum. She, too, began to laugh heartily. The perplexed parrot inquired, “Why are you laughing, young fox?”
The Fox and the Drum Story Moral
“Well,” Shikha responded with bouts of laughter, “I have learned a valuable lesson. Not everything that emits a thunderous sound is filled with substance! From this day forward, I shall fear the forest less.” With those words, Shikha the fox turned and ventured forth for actual nourishment, her heart emboldened by newfound wisdom.
