Once, a villager saw some huge footprints on the ground near his hut. Soon, all the villagers gathered there. No one had seen such big footprints before. One said, “They must be a demon’s.” Another decided to call a so‑called wise man for help. The wise man bent over the prints and studied them. Then he said, “These prints are of a deer.” “But they are so big!” exclaimed someone. “That is because the animal tied large stones to its feet to fool us,” replied the wise man. The villagers were amazed at the man’s wisdom. But unknown to any of them, the footprints were of an elephant. Some days later, the elephant came that way again. The villagers saw the tracks the next morning but this time they were not afraid. They knew that the deer was trying to fool them again.
The Footprints
