Komal Learns to Listen

Komal was the gentlest elephant in the palace courtyard. He carried fallen branches aside and waited patiently for his keeper. The children loved watching him splash water with his trunk.

One night, loud strangers gathered outside his shelter. They boasted that being rough made them powerful. Komal listened in the darkness and mistakenly thought they were teaching him something important.

The next morning, Komal refused his usual gentle greeting. He trumpeted crossly and pushed empty baskets across the yard. His keeper stepped back, surprised by the sudden change in his friend.

For several days, the courtyard felt uneasy. The keeper left food nearby but did not crowd Komal. The king asked a thoughtful elder to discover what had upset their elephant.

The elder checked his shelter, food, and feet. Everything seemed well. Then she asked about the noisy nights. The keeper remembered the strangers and repeated the things they had said.

“Perhaps he believes those words,” she said. “Let him hear a better example.” That evening, kind neighbors sat near the shelter and talked about caring for the weak and frightened.

Komal heard how strong friends protect others instead of scaring them. He remembered the children’s happy faces and his keeper’s patient hands. These words sounded closer to the elephant he wanted to be.

At sunrise, he carefully lifted an overturned basket and set it upright. His keeper noticed the quiet gesture. He approached slowly, and Komal offered his trunk in their familiar greeting.

Together they tidied the courtyard. Komal moved branches while the keeper gathered baskets. The children watched from the gate, then laughed when a soft spray of water glittered in the sunlight.

Komal still listened to many voices, but he no longer copied every one. He chose the example that brought peace to his friends. His gentle strength returned to the sunny courtyard.