In a small town, there lived a kind-hearted tailor. Everyone in the neighborhood came to him to stitch their clothes. He was known not just for his skill, but for his gentle nature.
One day, an elephant wandered into town and stopped right in front of the tailor’s shop. The tailor smiled and offered the elephant some fresh fruits. The elephant happily ate them and left.
The next day, the elephant returned. And the day after that. Soon, it became a beautiful routine – the elephant would visit, and the tailor would feed him fruits. A unique friendship was born.
But one day, the tailor had to leave for urgent work. He left his mischievous son in charge and gave him fruits to feed the elephant.
“When the elephant comes, give him these fruits,” the father instructed.
The boy agreed, but he had other plans. He ate the fruits himself! When the elephant arrived and stretched out his trunk expecting food, the boy did something cruel – he pricked the elephant’s trunk with a needle.
The elephant trumpeted in pain and rushed to the river. The pain was unbearable! He dipped his trunk in the cool water for relief.
But the elephant was not one to forget. Anger burned in his eyes. He filled his trunk with muddy water and marched back to the shop.
The boy was still there. The elephant extended his trunk again. The foolish boy thought the elephant wanted fruits and raised his hand with the needle again. But this time…
SPLASH!
The elephant sprayed all the mud over the boy and the entire shop! Clothes were ruined. The boy was covered head to toe in mud. The elephant had taken his revenge.
When the tailor returned and saw the disaster, he questioned his son. After some tough questioning, the boy confessed everything.
The tailor immediately took his son to where the elephant lived. With love and care, he patted the elephant and offered him fruits. Then, he made his son feed the elephant with his own hands.
The elephant’s anger melted away. He forgave the boy. And from that day on, they became friends. The elephant would even take the boy on rides on his back!
The lesson is simple yet powerful: Never mistreat anyone, for every action has a consequence. Kindness brings friendship, but cruelty brings pain – not just to others, but eventually to ourselves.
This was The Elephant and The Tailor.
Thank you for listening to Selected Best Stories. Remember – choose kindness, always.