1.

“The Price of Indiscretion” in Mitrabheda – Panchatantra tells the story of Ujjwalaka, a cart-
maker, suffering from poverty. One day while passing through the jungle, he had a glimpse of
a female camel that was in pain. He gave that camel some water and grass. Through this, she
improved and also gave birth to the to the small baby camel. Ujjwalaka took the camel and
the baby to his home where he affectionately tied the bell to the neck of the growing camel
baby. He started selling the milk of mother camel, and he earned fairly good for a better
living. He then went to the merchant, borrowed some money and bought another camel. It
was a start and by this way in the year, he bought many camels.

As a consequence, the cart-maker became rich and lived a contented life. He used to take care
of all the camels young or old, but his much-loved camel was the one who wore the bell; it
was the first baby camel he had.

While going to the jungle with other camels, the baby camel with the bell was the one who
was many times slow or move here and there instead of being with other camels but he never
listened to his fellow mates as he knew that as he is favorite of his master so he will never be
scolded. One day, as the camels were grazing in the nearby jungle, a lion came roving. He
was influenced by the sound of the bell. The lion observed a baby camel with the bell, and as
this baby camel was not moving with the group, the lion followed him, jumped on him and
killed him.