Deep inside the jungle lay an ancient battlefield littered with broken chariots, spears, and one enormous war-drum. Whenever a strong wind blew, the drum would thunder “DHOOM… DHOOM…” as if some gigantic monster were roaring.
One night, a hungry jackal named Lalchand passed that way. Suddenly, a gust of wind struck, and the drum boomed “DHOOM-DHOOM!” The jackal’s fur stood on end. He thought, “There must be a huge, fat animal here breathing so loudly! If I kill it, I’ll eat for months!”
Trembling, Lalchand crept forward. The drum thundered again, “DHOOM-DHOOM!” The jackal curled his tail and whispered, “Come out, you fat beast, or I’ll tear your skin off!” No answer. Gathering courage, he reached the drum and saw that its leather was torn and it was completely hollow, with only wind inside.
Only then did the jackal understand that he had nearly lost real prey because of imaginary fear. He spotted a tiny rabbit shivering in the grass nearby, caught it, and laughed, “Foolish drum! I almost let my real dinner escape because of you.”
But the moment he picked up the rabbit, a sharp arrow whistled through the air and struck his leg. He yelped, dropped the rabbit, and the rabbit vanished. A hunter hidden in a tree had heard the drum and thought a large animal was roaming.
Limping away in pain, the jackal looked back as the drum boomed once more, “DHOOM-DHOOM!” He spat bitterly and said, “Your sound first terrified me, then kept me hungry, and now left me lame. You truly are the greatest trickster!”
From that night on, Lalchand never again trusted any sound without seeing the truth with his own eyes.
Moral Lesson: To fear or covet something merely because of its loud appearance, without investigation, is foolishness. First see the reality, then believe.