There lived a carpenter by name Ujjwalak in a certain town. He was very indigent. He was feeling sad that everyone in the city did some productive work and earned money and respect. But his labor with timber earned him neither. So he left his town and went away to another city.

En route he saw a female camel in labor pain. With his help she delivered a calf and he came back to his house leading the she-camel and her newborn boy. He fed the camels with great care. The camel calf in time ate a lot of fodder and grew into a fully grown strong camel. The carpenter was in turn doing well financially selling the milk of the shecamel. The carpenter thought that the camel boy was the harbinger of good luck for him and so he was very proud of him. He tied a bell around the neck of this camel calf, and the calf was ecstatic when he heard the ringing sound wherever he moved his neck.

In course of time the carpenter purchased some more camels and they begat many a foal, and now the carpenter was a successful dealer in camels, and its products. He groomed and sold many camels in the process and was immensely prosperous. But he never could think of selling off his first find, the camel with a bell around his neck.

One day all the camels of the household went to a nearby forest for grazing and having water. They had tummyful of grass and tender plants and bellyfuls of clean cool water. In the evening they returned home very jubilant. Our camel with the bell was also in the lead. Being the pet of the group he was arrogant, and he was shaking his neck with flourish giving out loud noise, attracting all around including predators. Other camels were very disturbed.

This foolish fellow is showing off with his bell. And he is coming far behind separated from the group. May he not fall in the mouth of some wild predator.

While the procession was on, one lion happened to hear the chime of bells and came out to see what was the mess. Seeing the lion all the camels who were walking ahead of the camel with the bell bolted and escaped to the town. The camel with the bell was far behind and he could not divine the approach of the lion till it was too late to escape.

All that was left was the bell and the string tied to it.*

It is not good to be separate from the group. One should live mixed in his group.

THE END