Bondunath lived in a small, remote village surrounded by lush green hills and dense forests. Despite repeated warnings from his friends, Bondu always carried his gun around, believing himself to be a sharpshooter. However, his aim was terrible, yet every bird and animal feared him because their lives were at constant risk!
One day, Bondu’s friends mocked him, saying, ‘If you think you’re a sharpshooter, prove it! Take down a wild beast like a bear or a wild boar.’
Filled with overconfidence, Bondu took the challenge head-on. He boasted, ‘Tomorrow, I’ll venture deep into the jungle with my gun. I won’t rest until I shoot down a big bear! This will make me famous, and soon, I’ll be featured in newspapers. Maybe even the government will recognize my bravery!’
That night, Bondu fell asleep dreaming of his upcoming viral moment.
Bondu spent the next day resting under the shade of a tree, feeling the gentle breeze and listening to the soothing chirps of birds. Before he knew it, he dozed off.
Suddenly, a strange noise woke him up. His gun was missing! Horrified, Bondu looked up and froze in fear—a giant bear was holding his gun and playing with it!
Bondu ran for his life, but the bear chased after him, gripping the gun tightly. Just then—BANG!—a gunshot echoed through the forest!
Bondu stopped, petrified. The bear approached him and spoke, ‘Why do you hunt and harm innocent animals? How would you feel if I shot you now? Should I…?’
‘No, no! Please don’t shoot me! I’m sorry!’ Bondu screamed, waking up in cold sweat. He had fallen off his bed, shaking with fear and regret. Relieved it was only a nightmare, he vowed never to carry a gun again!
The next morning, Bondu gathered his friends in the village square and made a powerful statement:
‘Friends, keeping weapons may seem useful, but they can be dangerous. We shouldn’t harm innocent animals just for fun.’
His friends were stunned at his sudden change of heart.
‘Bondu, what happened? Where’s your bravery? Why aren’t you going to the jungle?’ they asked.
With a mysterious smile, Bondu replied, ‘That, my friends, is a secret!’
As fond of writing a good story as he is of reading one, Pravin is one of the most promising writers at Ameya. He can be contacted at pravinkumar2788@gmail.com.