Once upon a time, in the dense forests of Bangiri, a rogue elephant was wreaking havoc. Intoxicated by his own immense strength, he held no regard for anyone or anything.
Within this very forest of Bangiri, a little bird and her mate shared a small, blissful world in a tree. The female bird would sit upon her eggs, dreaming golden dreams of the day her tiny, adorable chicks would hatch. One day, the cruel elephant—roaring, trumpeting, and uprooting trees in his path—came stomping in their direction. In the blink of an eye, he smashed down the very tree that held the bird's nest. The nest crashed to the ground; the eggs were shattered, and to make matters worse, the elephant's foot came down right upon them.
The little bird and her mate could do nothing but shriek and wail in despair. After the elephant had lumbered away, the bird began to weep inconsolably, beating her breast in grief. Just then, a woodpecker arrived on the scene. She was a close friend of the bird. When the woodpecker asked the reason for their sorrow, the bird recounted her entire tragic tale. The woodpecker replied, "Drowning ourselves in grief like this will achieve nothing. We must take action to teach that elephant a lesson."
The bird expressed her hopelessness: "How can insignificant little creatures like us possibly stand a chance against such a mighty elephant?"
The woodpecker explained, "Unity is strength—one plus one makes eleven. We will combine our powers."
"How?" the bird asked.
"I have a friend, a bumblebee named Vinakh. We should seek his counsel." The bird and the woodpecker went to meet the bumblebee. The bumblebee buzzed sympathetically, "This is truly a terrible tragedy. I have a friend—a frog. Come, let us ask him for help."
Now, all three of them arrived at the edge of the lake where the frog lived. The bumblebee explained the entire predicament. The frog, in a deep, croaking voice, said, "Please wait patiently for me right here. I shall go sit in the deep water and think this through." Having said this, the frog leaped into the water. Half an hour later, when he emerged from the water, his eyes were gleaming. He declared, "Friends! I have come up with an excellent plan to destroy that murderous elephant. It will require everyone's contribution."
As soon as the frog revealed his plan, everyone jumped for joy. The plan was, indeed, truly brilliant. The frog went on to explain each individual's specific role to them, one by one.
A short distance away, the frenzied elephant—having wreaked havoc and filled his belly with tender shoots—stood swaying in a state of blissful abandon. The bumblebee was the first to act. He flew close to the elephant's ears and began humming a melodious tune. Enchanted by the melody, the elephant closed his eyes and began to sway in delight.
At that very moment, the woodpecker executed her task. She swooped in and, using her sharp, needle-like beak, swiftly pierced both of the elephant's eyes. The elephant's eyes were destroyed; blinded and writhing in agony, he began to run wildly in all directions.
As time passed, the elephant's rage intensified. Deprived of sight, his body became increasingly battered and wounded from stumbling and crashing into obstacles. The pain from his injuries drove him to scream and trumpet even louder.
The bird spoke to the frog in a voice filled with gratitude: "Brother, I shall remain indebted to you for the rest of my life. You have helped me so immensely."
The frog replied, "There is no need for gratitude. After all, it is friends who come to the aid of friends."
Between the searing pain in his eyes and his incessant screaming and trumpeting, the elephant's throat went completely dry. He began to feel an intense thirst. Now, he sought only one thing: water.
The frog gathered a large number of his kinsmen and led them to the edge of a massive pit located some distance away, instructing them to sit there and begin croaking. All the frogs immediately began to croak. Upon hearing the croaking of frogs, the elephant pricked up his ears. He knew that frogs inhabit areas close to water sources. He set off in that very direction.
The croaking grew louder and louder. The thirsty elephant began to run even faster.
As soon as the elephant approached the pit, the frogs began to croak with all their might. The elephant surged forward and plunged into the pit—falling like a massive boulder—where it took no time at all for the life to drain out of him. Thus came the end of that elephant, who was consumed by arrogance.