A thief once came into the city of Brahmapura and stole a bell. He was running away into the surrounding Sriparvata hills when he was killed by a tiger. The bell lay in the forest on the mountainside. Some days later, a troop of monkeys found the bell. They enjoyed themselves playing with it. Jumping on the trees and chasing one another with the bell, they made a lot of noise ringing it. The sound echoed all around and was heard by people in Brahmapura as well. They wondered what the noise was and soon began to create stories about it. The people believed that a terrible demon lived in the hills. When he moved, the bell rang out and he would eat up anyone who came there. Fear spread in the area. So, people began to leave the town.
The Bell
