The giant termite

“I am the most powerful creature in this region,” said the giant termite coming out of the palacious molehill he built with his retinue of well wishers, relatives and supporters.

“How do you prove that you are the most powerful creature?” asked the monkey who was perched on a close by tree.

“I can destroy any creature with the venom in me.”

“Is that what you call powerful?” asked the monkey.

“Yes certainly.”

“But there are more venomous serpents in this forest.”

“But they have only venom. They cannot build a palace to live.”

“They certainly come and live in your molehill, which you call a palace.”

“For us, the termites, a molehill is a palace.”

“All right, I give in. I will pass the message on to other creatures living in the region,”

The giant termite felt a certain degree of pride inborn within him.

“All I want you to do is a simple thing,” said the termite, who stood at the palace gate.

“What’s that?” asked the monkey smilingly.

“See that whenever other creatures pass my palace, they should kneel down and venerate my palace.”

“In other words, is it not veneration for you?”

“It certainly is.”

The monkey nodded his head in agreement descended from the branch and stood in veneration before the molehill palace. Several other creatures in the region saw this at a range far and near. For some of the creatures, it was an enigma. The fox too came to know of it and came closer to the molehill palace o the giant termite.

“I got the message,” said the fox, venerating the giant termite.

“Look at that shameful scene,” said one lion to another. That fox, who is cunning, venerates the giant termite. The giant termite was watchful. He knew who venerates and who disobeys his order. The giant termite told his colleagues, who were busy working with clay inside the molehill, how the various types of creatures come to pay respect to them.

“This palace of ours is the greatest wonder in the region,” said the giant termite to his colleagues.

“So at last the termites are victorious.” They all shouted in a tone of merriment.

“There cannot be a single creature who disregards us. They all venerate us. When they bow down that means they are simply not venerating a place of honour, but also those who live in that place,” responded the giant termite.

One of the termites observed that there are several creatures who have still failed to reach the place to pay their respects.

“Who are they?” the giant termite asked. The lion and the elephant, they said.

“One day we could plan to attack the lion in his own den,” said the giant termite in a stern and commanding tone.

“How are we going to do that?” Asked a young termite.

“It’s simple, we should plan to build a molehill inside the lion’s den, and invite a serpent to live inside. The matter would be solved. Then he will honour us.”

“Good idea,” said the young termite and asked another question, “how about the elephant?”

“He should be here any moment. Our monkey friend has passed the message on to him.”

“There you are. The giant elephant friend is coming this way.”

The retinue of termites with the leadership of the giant termite awaited the arrival of the elephant. The elephant walked slowly and steadily.

“I have come to honour you,” said the elephant making a trumpeting sound which resounded in the entire region.

Other creatures were watching what the elephant is going to do. The elephant raised his trunk. Then he paced towards the giant termite’s molehill palace.

Stood still for a moment.

Paced a little more forward.

And trumpeted once more. The giant elephant knelt down right on the top of the molehill built by the giant termite.

Alas! The entire molehill was seen crunched down to a plate on the ground.

There was no palace or other builders of the palace to be seen anymore.

“This has happened unknowingly,” apologised the giant elephant.

There was no giant to termite to hear that.