টেকৈর ধন পানা

One day, a Tailorbird found a Cowrie and a precious ball of cotton by the roadside and brought them back to his nest.

Finding that wealth, the Tailorbird was beside himself with joy, stepping with sheer arrogance.

At that time, the king of that country was sitting on his veranda, smoking a hookah.

The Tailorbird went straight to the palace right before the king and kept leaping around, shouting, 'I am boasting of my immense wealth!'

The king became highly annoyed and displeased by this.

He said, 'Despite being such a great king, I never speak with such arrogance about my wealth!'

And this mere Tailorbird shows no fear, leaping right in front of my face!'

He commanded his guards, 'Go and check what exactly is hidden inside this Tailorbird's nest.'

Upon receiving the royal order, two palace guards rushed toward the nest.

Searching the spot, they discovered the Cowrie and the ball of cotton stashed inside the Tailorbird's nest.

The two guards retrieved the valuable items, blocked the nest, and returned to the palace.

The king then kept all of the Tailorbird's found wealth inside the royal treasury.

Having lost his wealth, the Tailorbird grew furious and returned before the king, lifting one leg in defiance and mocking—'The king is a total beggar, he stole a Tailorbird's wealth!'

The Tailorbird repeatedly went before the king to deliver the same mockery.

Exploding in fury, the king commanded, 'Capture this rascal Tailorbird this very instant!'

No sooner was the order given than the guards cast a net, caught the Tailorbird.

Yet, the Tailorbird managed to escape somehow and leaped right before the king again, chanting—'The king is a total beggar, he stole a Tailorbird\'s wealth!'

Driven to absolute rage, the king seized the Tailorbird and swallowed it alive.

But inside the king's stomach, the Tailorbird did not die; it began jumping and thrashing from side to side.

The king realized that the Tailorbird was still alive inside his belly.

He worried deeply that when it emerged during his morning bowel movement, it would mock him alive once again.

Thus, the next morning when the king sat down for his bowel movement, he had the queen stand behind him wielding a sharp cleaver.

He told her to chop the Tailorbird in two the moment it emerged; but the instant it came out, it nimbly leaped far away.

Intending to strike the Tailorbird, the queen missed her target, and the sharp cleaver accidentally struck the king's buttocks instead.

The palace physicians rushed in, treating and binding the king\'s severe wound with herbal cloths.

Even in that wounded state, the Tailorbird returned before the king, dancing and chanting—'The king\'s backside is cut open, and he has patched it up with rags!'

The king is a total beggar, he stole a Tailorbird's wealth! —'saying this, his mockery reached its absolute peak.'

Finally, the king admitted defeat before the Tailorbird's relentless persistence and returned the Cowrie and ball of cotton from the treasury.

Having regained his wealth, the Tailorbird happily hopped back into the safety of the forest.