Once upon a time, there was a merchant who possessed a big garden, where just right in the middle he started building a temple. No. of masons and carpenters were working for the merchant. And it was a daily routine of his workforce to take some time off from their job and go to the town for having some good lunch and rest time.
It was like a normal day when all the workers left to feed themselves during the afternoon when a batch of monkeys landed at the temple site and upon seeing several types of equipment those monkeys didn’t resist to explore all of the kinds of stuff that fancied their eyes and they started playing with whatever they caught in their hands. Every monkey was involved in the mess when one of the monkeys landed his eyes on a partly sawed log of wood and a wedge fixed in it to stop it from closing.
As everyone already knows that monkeys are always curious, just out of the curiosity to what the heck was all arrangements made with the log of wood and a wedge the monkey began furiously tugging at the wedge without even thinking about the outcome of the activity. At last after much tugging and disturbing the whole wedge, the wedge finally came off but the monkey legs got trapped into the rift of the log. Monkey was hastily trying to get his legs out of that wedge but he was not able to get his legs freed from the closed wood, the monkey died.
Photo by Patrick Beznoska
After this story briefly, Karataka told Damanaka, “Therefore,” “it is not a very wise thing to do, to poke your nose into the matters that don’t attract your attention or worry. We have a good food store for us. Why should we just bother ourselves about this lion’s condition?”
Damanka retorted not agreeing with Karataka, “Food is not the center of our life you know. The elders have always said that wise men seek the help of the king to help friends and harm foes. And beyond this, there are always hundreds of ways to collect food. Food is not the real matter but the real matter is the life full of learning, courage and wealth. If living somehow is the goal, even the crow lives long eating leftovers.”
“You are saying the truth, but we are not ministers any more here. And the elders have always said that the stupid or an idiot person who offers uncalled for advice to the king not only invites insult for himself but also deceit”. Said Karataka.
Damanaka was not pleased with the answer of Karataka and he said “No, anyone who serves the king with honesty and devotion is bound to earn his favor maybe not today but in the long run for sure. And the very same person do not remain where he is.” He further said “Those who understand why the king is angry or upset or generous will one day have a high position in his office. So, it is necessary to serve our king with loyal hearts, understand his misery, what’s troubling him and get included in the good books of the king.”
“Okay, what do you want to do now?” asked Karataka.
Damanaka said “you know the king is very scared at the moment, right? We will inquire him about what’s frightening him and by using six ways of diplomacy we will try to get close to him.”
“How do you know the king is scared?” asked Karataka.
Clearing Karataka Damanaka gave him certain ideas of how he got to know that the king is scared. He said- “Changes in posture, signs, pace, actions, conversation, looks and expression indicate the working of the mind if you notice closely. I am planning to approach the fear-struck king today to get to know the reason behind such worried state of his and with the help of my intelligence, I will dispel his fear and once again I will become his minister” said Damanaka.
“How can you do it when you do not know principles of service?” asked Karataka.
Damanaka patiently told Karataka all he knew and learned about what makes a good and loyal servant in the service of the king in a very good manner.
“Oh, if this is the case then, I wish you all good luck,” Karataka wished him his best.
Taking leave from Karataka, Damanaka went to meet the king. When the king heard about his visit he remembered that Damanaka was the son of his old wise minister, King Pingalaka ordered his sentry to bring him into his presence. Damanaka sooner came there in front of the King and bowed his knees to pay respect to the almighty king of his.
“We haven’t seen you for a long time,” the king said seeing the old minister’s son Damanaka in front of him at his place.
Now Damanaka said “I certainly don’t know how I can put myself to be helpful to you, my lord. Yet, according to the great learners, there always are occasions available when every person no matter how high or low will be of some use to the King. And for many generations, we have served the King with high devotion. Yet I am out of your majesty’s Favour.
King understood somehow Damanaka’s request in between the lines and said “Yeah, all right, competent or incompetent but you are the son of our wise old minister. Go ahead and tell me whatever you have there in your mind”.
Damanaka felt confident and heard by the king so he further inquired with extra care by saying “May I ask you humbly, my lord why or what made you come back from the lake without even drinking water.”
The King listened to the Damanaka and decided to tell him about his scary situation and what bothers him from the moment he came back to his place from the lake. King said “O Damanaka, haven’t you heard those great scary and frightening sounds in the distance? I want to go far from this forest after that. The strange animal that could make such powerful sounds ought to be as powerful as the sound he makes to me.”
After listening to the King’s statement and the real matter Damanaka said “Your majesty, I would to like to tell you that if it is only that is creating a problem for you then I wish to submit that sounds can be misleading. I can tell you the story of the Jackal, How it overcame the fear of sound.”
The King relived a bit decided to loosen up and became excited too to listen to the whole story the old minister’s son proposed to him. Let us hear it” said the king.
