0037. The Terrible Bell

From The Book of Good Counsels (Hitopadesha) by Edwin Arnold with illustrations by Gordon Browne, online at: Hathi Trust.

Notes. Although there is not a real goblin (rakshasa) in this story, you can read more about rakshasas at Wikipedia.

Summary: Is there a goblin in the woods or not? A wise woman finds out the truth.

Read the story below:

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THE STORY OF THE TERRIBLE BELL

(Gordon Browne)

A thief had stolen a bell from the city, and was making off with that plunder, and more, into the Sri-parvata hills, when he was killed by a tiger. The bell lay in the jungle till some monkeys picked it up, and amused themselves by constantly ringing it. 

The townspeople found the bones of the man, and heard the noise of the bell all about the hills; so they gave out that there was a terrible goblin there, whose ears rang like bells as he swung them about (so they called him "Swing Ear"), and whose delight was to devour men. Everyone, accordingly, was leaving the town, when a peasant woman named Karala, who liked belief the better for a little proof, came to the Rajah.

'Highness!' she observed, 'for a consideration I could settle this Swing Ear goblin.'

'You could!' exclaimed the Rajah.

'I think so!' repeated the woman.

'Give her a consideration forthwith,' said the Rajah.

Karala, who had her own ideas upon the matter, took the present and set out. Being come to the hills, she made a circle, and did homage to Gunputtee [Ganesha], without whom nothing prospers. Then, taking some fruit she had brought, such as monkeys love extremely, she scattered it up and down in the wood, and withdrew to watch. 

Very soon the monkeys finding the fruit, put down the bell, to do justice to it, and the woman picking it up, bore it back to the town, where she became an object of uncommon veneration.