Baluram was the royal barber. Every month, a chariot would come to his house, to take him to the palace where he would give the king a royal haircut.

Baluram’s friends teased him, “The king must be generous. A big tummy is a sign of prosperity.” Baluram would join his friends in laughter. But he was a worried man, because his tummy was getting bigger and bigger.

His wife took him to a doctor who gave Baluram a full check-up. “I don’t like this tummy. It’s too big,” said the doctor, shaking his head.

“Why is it growing big then?” asked Baluram’s wife.

“It’s because Baluram is holding a secret in his head,” explained the doctor, “That has affected his tummy.”

“If he tells the secret to someone else, it will reduce the pressure on his tummy,” said the doctor.

After they returned home, the wife wanted to know Baluram’s secret. “I can’t tell you,” said Baluram looking helpless, “I have promised I would not tell anybody, not even my wife.”

The wife was now worried. Her husband was sticking to his promise, but his tummy was growing. She was afraid that at this rate it would simply explode one day!

“Do one thing,” said the wife, “Don’t tell the secret to anyone – not even to me. Go to a lonely place, make sure no one is around, and speak out the secret. Once you the secret is out of your mind, your tummy will shrink.”

Baluram liked the idea. He left home early morning and went to the outskirts of the city. He looked left and right. No one was around. But he wanted to be careful. He saw a huge tree with a big hole. His face brightened. He put his head into the tree’s hollow and shouted something loudly. He felt better. He shouted again. He felt better still. He shouted once more into the tree hollow. He felt light in the head. His tummy shrunk to its normal size.

Baluram returned home. His tummy was light. The secret was out of his mind, but still remained a secret, which no one else knew about.

Or so he thought…


Next part






Baluram, the barber, was carrying a secret in his head. But that secret had made his tummy big. Finding this unbearable, Baluram shouted the secret into a tree hollow. Baluram’s tummy shrunk back to its normal size, and the secret was safe. (Read the previous story)

Let's see what happens next.
Baluram’s neighbor, Lallu, was a drummer. His band had been invited to give a performance in the palace the next day. Unfortunately, Lallu’s old drum was broken. Baluram advised his friend to make a new drum.

Lallu needed wood to make the barrel. The next day, he went to the forest in search of wood. On the outskirts of the city, he found an old tree which was hollow.

He cut the wood neatly, so that the hollow could serve as the barrel. He got the drum ready just in time for the royal performance.

Lallu went straight to the palace where other members of his band had already assembled. The King arrived. He looked old and tired. His tummy was huge. He sat on the throne and signaled the band to begin.

The show began with drumming.

“Dum, dum, dum,” came the sound, loud and clear from the new drum.

Then all of a sudden, a strange sound started coming out of the drum:

“Our king has a horn on his head,

The king has a horn on his head,

A horn, the king has, our king has …

A horn on his head.”

Shell-shocked Lallu abruptly stopped beating the drum.

There was another person in the audience who was shaking with fear. Baluram realised that his friend Lallu had made a new drum out of the same tree where he had shouted his secret!

The audience went quiet. They dared not even to breathe. They were sure the king was upset.

The king slowly stood up. He took off his turban and ran his hand on the small horn growing out of his head.

People watched their king with mixed feeling of fear and fascination. They noticed their king also looked slimmer. His tummy had shrunk! He looked much younger! The horn on the head was so cute!!

Then the king moved. He broke into a dance!

People clapped, as the King signaled to Lallu.

Lallu resumed drumming as the crowd chanted –

We have a unique king!

No one has a king like ours!

He has a horn on his head!

A horn on head!

And a golden heart!!