The Rise and Fall of Merchant Dantila - Panchatantra Stories in English

In the city of Vardhaman, there was a wealthy merchant named Dantila. He managed the king's affairs and pleased both the ruler and the people. He hosted a grand wedding for his daughter, attended by the king, queen, important people, and even a lowly sweeper named Gorambha.

During the event, Gorambha sat in a noble's seat, angering Dantila. He had Gorambha humiliated and thrown out. Seeking revenge, Gorambha wanted to harm Dantila's reputation with the king. He cleverly spread a rumor about Dantila hugging the queen, aiming to make the king doubt him.

Gorambha pretended to murmur about this in front of the half-awake king, who got curious. Gorambha acted vague, claiming he was drowsy from gambling all night. The king, already unsure about the queen's loyalty, believed Gorambha might be telling the truth. Thinking Dantila had hugged the queen, the king removed Dantila's position and access to the court and palace.

Dantila suffered greatly from the false accusation. Later, Gorambha mocked him when he couldn't enter the palace. Dantila realized Gorambha was behind all this. He understood that even low-ranking servants could influence the king. Dantila decided to win Gorambha's favor. He invited him for tea, gave gifts, and apologized for his actions.

Gorambha forgave Dantila and promised to help him. He repeated the same tactic with the king, pretending to talk nonsense again. This time, Gorambha said the king was eating cucumbers in a strange place. The king, knowing it was untrue, realized the earlier accusation against Dantila might also be false. He noticed the kingdom was suffering without Dantila's skills.

Understanding his mistake, the king called Dantila back and restored his position. He saw that Dantila was noble and essential for the kingdom. So, Dantila's reputation was mended, and he regained his power.

Moral of the Story
The moral of the story is that it's important to be kind and considerate to even those who might seem less important, as their influence can be significant. Also, the story teaches us not to believe rumors without evidence and to value the skills and contributions of capable individuals.