In a certain town, lived a Brahmin name Drona. He gave up wearing fine clothes, using perfumes and all the other luxuries of life.
His hair and nails grew long and his body lean, due to his rigorous discipline in the cold, hot and rainy seasons. A certain devotee of his, out of sheer pity, presented him with a pair of young calves.

Right from the beginning the Brahmin fed them well and they grew fat in due course. A thief saw these two calves and he thought to himself. ‘This very day, I shall steal away these two calves belonging to the Brahmin.’ So he took a rope to tie them up and started off. On the way, he met a Demon of hideous appearance. His teeth stuck out of his mouth, his nose was long, his eyes burnt frighteningly with fire, he had knotty muscles and a glowing red beard.

When the thief saw him, he got frightened and said, ‘Who are you?’

Demon replied:’I am a Demon and I always speak the truth. Now you too introduce yourself.’

‘I’m a thief ‘replied the thief, ‘and I am on my way to steal two calves from a poor Brahmin.’

Because both spoke the truth, the two of them developed faith in each other. The Demon said to the thief, ‘I’m extremely hungry today, I think I shall eat that Brahmin. As you are going to steal his calves, it’s a very good thing, for our work will be accomplished at the same place.’ And so they started off together.

When they reached the Brahmin’s home, they slipped inside and hid themselves, waiting for an opportune moment. When the Brahmin fell asleep, the Demon got ready to eat him.

But the thief restrained him and said, ‘That’s not fair! You have to wait until I have taken away the calves! Otherwise, if he wakes up when you are about to eat him, my purpose will be defeated.’

‘On the contrary’, retorted the Demon, ‘if the calves cry out when you are leading them away and the Brahmin wakes up, I shall be the loser!’

Because of the hot argument that developed between the two, the Brahmin did wake up. Then, the thief said to the Brahmin, ‘Brahmin, this Demon want to eat you.’

And the Demon said, ‘Brahmin, this thief wants to steal you calves.’

Now, the Brahmin became very wide-awake and prayed to his chosen deity, where upon the Demon ran off. Then the Brahmin picked up a stick and chased the thief away.

❖ When thieves fall out, you stand to benefit.

❖ Quarreling on any issue always benefits the others.