The Four Spoiled Boys
Storyteller: Bi Amma
Host: Abdul Rasheed Faruqi
"He had never done a good deed in his life. He constantly troubled his parents and elders, and his endless mischief drove his younger siblings to their wits' end. Whenever he was out in the street, neighbors were always lined up with complaints. In short, Gul was a thoroughly spoiled boy, liked by absolutely no one. Until one day, something happened...?"
Bi Amm paused. She picked up a glass of water nearby, whispered Bismillah, took a sip, and then cast a deep, sweeping gaze across the hall filled with children dressed in bright, colorful clothes. The children were completely captivated. They sat alongside their parents in the grand hall of Kahani Ghar (The Story House), eagerly waiting for her words. Standing beside Bi Amm was the host of Kahani Ghar, a warm smile playing on his lips as he looked out at the radiant audience.
"Bi Amm! What happened that day?" a little child blurted out loudly.
For a fraction of a second, the heavy silence of the room broke. They say where there are children, absolute silence is impossible, though the Kahani Ghar management had worked diligently to maintain a disciplined atmosphere. Bi Amm cast a loving, smiling glance at the child and resumed her tale:
"One day, Gul teamed up with his reckless friends and made a plan to swim in the lake. Initially, his friends were hesitant, but eventually, they agreed. And so, they reached the beautiful lake nestled at the edge of the forest—a place where vibrant birds came to frolic. Occasionally, a wild animal would wander down to bathe, but for the most part, the Creator had arranged separate watering holes deep inside the jungle for the beasts.
"Gul and his three companions—Ashi, Tariq, and Naveed—jumped into the water. My dears, the lake water was icy cold, but the four boys were having the time of their lives, splashing water at each other and laughing without a care in the world.
"Just a short distance from the lake stood a small, lush tree with dense, green branches. Perched on one of its sturdy limbs sat a parrot and a mynah. They watched the boys swimming, their little faces shifting between expressions of amusement and deep concern. The parrot turned to his companion and said,
'Mynah! These boys look so cheerful swimming down there, but it breaks my heart to think what will happen if the Monster spots them.'
'Parrot, I am worried about the exact same thing,' the mynah replied.
"They looked at the four boys with sad eyes. Suddenly, the mynah chirped, 'Parrot, why don’t we warn them of the impending danger?'
'Do you think they understand our tongue?' the parrot asked.
'I doubt it, but there is no harm in trying. Perhaps, through our gestures, they might catch a hint. After all, they are human children.'
"Having made up their minds, they fluttered down and landed on the lowest branch of the tree, which practically brushed the ground. When Gul noticed them, he nudged his friends.
"'Look! What lovely parrots,' he said.
"'They are lovely, and quite brave too. They aren’t afraid of us, nor do they worry that we could easily catch them,' Tariq laughed.
"'Catch them? Hmph! Birds are incredibly cunning. They don't get caught so easily,' Ashi remarked, making a face.
"Suddenly, the parrot and the mynah began to squawk and chirp frantically, as if trying desperately to communicate something important. The four boys stared at each other in confusion. Then Gul chuckled,
"'Look at them... making such a fuss. They must be starving.'
"'They can't possibly be hungry, considering there is an endless supply of food in this forest,' Naveed chimed in quickly.
"By now, they had completely forgotten about swimming. The shoreline was shallow, allowing them to stand safely without worry. Yet, the birds grew even more frantic, chirping loudly in their animal language:
'Children, get out of the lake at once... a crocodile is going to drag you under!'
"But their frantic warnings made absolutely no sense to Gul and his friends. How could mere humans understand the speech of birds and beasts? The parrot and mynah continued their noisy alarms, while Gul and his peers simply clapped gleefully, assuming the birds were putting on a show for their entertainment.
"Seeing the boys clapping and laughing, the birds grew deeply frustrated. They took flight and retreated to the safety of their high canopy.
"'Well, they flew away... come on, let's get back to swimming,' Gul said.
"'Enough, buddy! I’ve had enough,' Tariq shook his head.
"'Same here,' Ashi agreed, and Naveed waded out of the water too.
"But Gul insisted, 'I am going to swim a bit more.'
"'Stop it, man! Come out,' Naveed urged.
"'I am starting to feel a sense of dread here,' Ashi said aloud. The other three turned to her with raised eyebrows, and then a burst of mocking laughter erupted from Gul:
"'What a fool you are... what danger could possibly be here?'
"'What can I do? I just feel this ominous threat,' Ashi pouted.
"'Fine. On our way back, I am taking all your detective novels away. Those wretched books have ruined your imagination,' Gul scoffed, diving back beneath the surface. He popped his head up seconds later and shouted, 'Friends, those parrots sounded lovely, didn't they?'
"'Yeah! Wait... look, there they are,' Tariq said, pointing upwards with a start.
"All four boys looked up. The parrot and mynah were swinging on a thin twig, looking perfectly content and cheerful now.
"Just as Gul emerged from the water, a violent ripple tore through the surface, and a massive crocodile surfaced right by the bank. The boys scrambled backward in absolute terror. The color drained from Gul’s face as cold dread washed over him. He shuddered to think what would have happened had he stayed submerged for just a few seconds longer. For the very first time in his life, a profound sense of gratitude filled his heart, and he silently thanked the Almighty for saving his life.
"The crocodile, missing its prey, slipped back into the depths. The four shaken friends retreated to a small sand dune to catch their breath. But they had barely spent a few minutes recounting their narrow escape when a horrifying figure suddenly lunged out in front of them—it must have been hiding behind the dense thickets all along.
"Its appearance was so grotesque that it made the boys want to retch. The creature was monstrously tall, its huge, muscular arms hanging so low they practically scraped the ground. Its nose was flat and charred like a burnt fritter, its cheeks puffed up as though filled with stagnant air, its ears resembled those of an elephant, and its chest was matted with coarse hair like a wild bear. In short, it looked far less like a man and far more like a walking catastrophe.
"When it opened its jaws, a wave of heat like fire seemed to escape. The boys panicked, their legs trembling like frail reeds in the wind as they repeatedly swallowed hard against the lump in their throats. Suddenly, the horrific beast let out an earth-shattering roar—the sheer impact of which knocked all four boys backward onto the grass."
Bi Amm paused, leaving the children of Kahani Ghar on the edge of their seats once more. She pulled out a soft cloth to clean her spectacles. The hall was blanketed in absolute, reverent silence. Every pair of eyes, young and old, remained locked onto her.
"Bi Amm! What happened next?" a child asked, unable to contain their curiosity any longer.
She cleared her throat softly and continued:
"The roar was so terrifying that even the parrot and mynah fled in terror. The monstrous beast stepped forward, scooped the four boys up effortlessly, and began lumbering toward the deep heart of the forest. The four friends cried and screamed for help, but who was there to rescue them in the wild? The monster paid no heed to their wails, and strange, alien sounds began to rattle from its throat.
"My dear children, that was the exact moment when Gul and his spoiled friends remembered all their bad, malicious deeds and the pain they had caused others. Visions of their disobedience to their parents flashed before their eyes one by one. Memories of snatching treats from their younger siblings taunted them vividly. A heavy, suffocating realization dawned upon them: they had never done a single genuinely good thing in their lives, or if they had, it was only for some selfish motive.
"Good children, whenever humanity is struck by calamity, it instinctively turns toward the Divine. Whether one remembers their Lord in days of ease or not, in moments of deep distress, the heart cries out to God sincerely. And let me tell you, prayers uttered from a truthful heart are never rejected. Gul and his friends repented with absolute sincerity. Do you know what happened then?" Bi Amm asked, leaning forward.
"What happened, Bi Amm?" a delicate little girl’s voice echoed in the hall.
"The terrifying beast suddenly dropped all four of them onto the grass and began scratching its own body. Its scratching grew faster, and faster, and faster... until it looked as though the monster had broken into a frantic dance. The four friends watched in utter astonishment.
"Right in the middle of this manic dance, the monster collapsed onto the ground, writhing in pain. After a few minutes of agony, it lay completely still. It was dead.
"The moment it perished, the four boys jumped up, ready to flee in the opposite direction, when they froze in their tracks. Standing right before them was a beautiful fairy, a gentle, welcoming smile gracing her features. Her voice was like melodic music. She smiled and said,
"'Children, what are you doing wandering out here?' "They replied in unison, 'Kind fairy, we lost our way.'
"'Yes! I know full well that you four were lost. Remember this: those who stray from the right path are never successful in this world. True success only belongs to those who keep their duties in clear sight at all times and fulfill them. I know what you have been up to. Had you not performed a certain good deed, you would undoubtedly be lying here dead right now,' the fairy pointed toward the vanished monster.
"Then, a strange thing happened. The very next second, the remains of the terrifying monster vanished into thin air. Startled, the boys turned to look at the fairy, only to gasp in sheer disbelief—she had disappeared into thin air as well."
Bi Amm fell silent. The story had drawn to a close. The children and adults in the hall were beaming; they had thoroughly enjoyed the tale and broke out into an energetic round of applause.
"Brilliant, Bi Amm! You have narrated an absolutely beautiful story to the kids," the host said, stepping up to take the microphone. His voice resonated across the hall:
"My good and lovely children, now comes the segment of quiz questions related to this story! By answering them correctly, some of you can win exciting prizes. I am going to ask the questions now... are you all ready?"
"Ready! Ready!" the hall cheered back.
The host accepted a pink envelope from a young girl standing beside him and began posing the questions to the audience:
What kind of children were Gul and his friends initially?
Why did the Almighty intend to punish the four boys?
How were they ultimately saved from their punishment?
What kind of people will achieve success in this world and the hereafter?
What overarching lesson do we learn from this story?
