Once, a king’s ears started growing suddenly. He wore a large hat so that his growing ears wouldn’t be seen outside. However, a palace servant happened to see the king’s big ears. The poor servant dared not to tell this to anyone as the king would surely behead him. But the secret he guarded deep in his bosom began to choke him. So the servant shared it with some bamboo plants in the forest.
The bamboo plants, when they swayed in the wind, exchanged this secret with each other. The musicians who got hints about it, made flutes using the bamboos and began to play music. But the music which came out of the bamboo flutes narrated the story of the king’s growing ears. Enraged, the king imprisoned the servant who spilled the beans about his ears.
There are many who find pleasure in revealing secrets about others. They, however, do that by warning the listener not to pass it on to anyone else. Seldom do they realize that their actions may put an end to the life or dreams of someone else. Not all truths need to be known by everyone around. Undesirable events may happen in people's lives. But even time may not be able to heal the gashes which are opened by spilling secrets about a person’s life.
It is only the disease that spreads; health and well being cannot be shared. Similarly, it is really difficult to spread virtues which may inspire others to lead life with confidence and courage. It is easy to point a finger at someone who has committed a mistake, but difficult to imbibe the goodness that the person possesses. This earth would have been a paradise, if everyone tried to spread goodness by appreciating each other.
The one who spills secrets finds comfort in the eagerness of the listener. Those who pride themselves as being the ones who receives all the latest and exclusive news should remember that they too would never be spared. If at least one person decides to keep an undesirable secret under the wraps, then it would stop a few meaningless rumours from making disastrous advances. It is wise to stop ourselves from listening to things that we can’t keep to us, and stop talking about what is unpleasant or futile.
