The Panchatantra - Story 72

STORY NO. 72. THE DEMON GHANTAKARNA EXORCISED

In the mountainous region of Sri Parvata(Srisailam in Andhra pradesh) lay the town of Brahmapura. A rumour spread there that a demon called Ghanta-Karna(Bell-ear : Ghanta means bell) was haunting the summit of the mountain. The people were terribly afraid of going to the summit, to gather firewood etc, because of this rumour. The truth was that a thief, when running away with a bell he had stolen, was killed by a tiger, and the bell dropped by the side of his corpse, and some monkeys saw the bell and began constantly ringing it, making the inhabitants of Brahmapura, who heard the sound at all unearthly hours, think it was a demon called Ghantakarna. The people began leaving the town in panic, as some man told them that the demon Ghantakarna was eating men and ringing the bell every time he had finished one. 

The King offered a reward of a thousand gold coins to any one who could exorcise the demon. A courtesan who had gone up the hill with a lover, on a secret assignment with him and had seen the monkeys ring the bell, offered to exorcise the demon and claim the reward. She drew a magic circle and offered worship to Ganesa(The elephant-headed god who removes all danger) with several tantric mantras(Mystic Incantations). Then she went up the hill with a basketful of fruits of the varieties the monkeys loved, and strewed them in the vicinity of the bell. The monkeys left the bell and went after the fruits, and she quietly picked up the bell and returned to the town and told the king, "I have finished off the demon Ghantakarna and brought his ghanta. You will never more hear the demon". Of course, the noise of the bell was heard no more from the hill, and the King gave the reward to the resourceful dancing girl.