Two Ways of Beating a Drum
(Excess)
Once upon a time, there was a drummer who lived in a small
country village. He heard there was going to be a fair in the city of Benares,
and so decided to venture there and make a living by playing his drums. As
there were some music scores that were written for two sets of drums, he took
his son along to help him with the performances. The two drummers, father and
son, played to the crowds of holiday makers at the fair.
They were very popular. Everyone liked their drum-playing and
gave generously to them. When the fair was over, they packed up and proceeded
to return to their little village with the earnings they made. On their way
home, they had to pass through a dark forest. It was very dangerous because the
forest was notorious for being infested with robbers. The drummer boy wanted to
protect his father and himself from the muggers, so he beat his drums as loudly
as he could, without stopping. “The more noise we make, the better to frighten
the robbers away,” he thought.
The drummer man took his son aside. “Son, beat as if some
great lord was passing by,” he said, and explained to him that when royal
processions travelled, they beat drums only at regular intervals in a very
dignified manner. They would beat a drum roll, pause, then beat again with
flourish. He told his son to do likewise, to fool the muggers into thinking
that a powerful lord was passing by. But the boy ignored his father’s advice.
He thought he knew better how to keep the robbers away.
Meanwhile, a gang of muggers heard the boy’s drumming. At
first, they thought a powerful rich man must be approaching with heavy
security. But they soon realized something was fishy when they discovered that
the drumming continued in a wild fashion without stopping. They went back to
investigate, and saw only a man and his son on the forest’s path. They beat
them up, robbed all their hard-earned money and escaped into the forest.
The moral is ✏ overdoing something can lead to
one’s downfall.
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